Baker. No Specialized Training. Education and Training. Salary Median $21,330 per year. Employment Outlook. Definition and Nature of the Work

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Baker. No Specialized Training. Education and Training. Salary Median $21,330 per year. Employment Outlook. Definition and Nature of the Work"

Carmel Cummings
5 years ago
Views:

Job Profiles No Specialized Training Baker Bakers produce varying quantities of bread, pastries, and other baked goods for sale in establishments such as bakeries, grocery stores, and manufacturers

1 Job Profiles No Specialized Training Baker Bakers produce varying quantities of bread, pastries, and other baked goods for sale in establishments such as bakeries, grocery stores, and manufacturers outlets. In small bakeries or specialty shops, bakers bake small quantities of breads, pastries, cookies, and pies for consumers. They may also take orders and create specialty items, such as wedding and birthday cakes, for customers. They may feature foods that appeal to particular regions or that emphasize a baker s specialty. Creativity is required, because bakers create new variations of products and decorate specialty goods like wedding cakes in accordance with a customer s request. In large-scale manufacturing operations, bakers produce goods in large quantities using industrial equipment, such as mixers and ovens. The items are then sold through distributors, grocery stores, or manufacturers outlets. High school Median $21,330 per year Good Requirements Bakers do not need an advanced education. They often start as apprentices or trainees, and learn through on-the-job training or take high school or community college courses in the culinary arts before they get a job in a specialty or industrial bakery. Bakers must also learn about nutrition, government health and sanitation regulations, operating and maintaining machinery, and production processes. If they aspire to own their own bakery, a knowledge of business and accounting is necessary. Bakers produce a wide range of goods, including staples like bread and fancy desserts. ( Terry Wild Studio. Reproduced by permission.) Getting the Job Prospective bakers should apply directly to specialty bakeries to become an apprentice, or apply to supermarkets to become a bakery trainee. High school training in the culinary arts is an advantage, as is a knowledge of baking processes, equipment, and ingredients. Advancement Possibilities and Bakers may advance to supervise assistants and teach apprentices and trainees. They may eventually become head baker, and even open their own bakery. 31

2 The job outlook for bakers is good, with opportunities expected to grow as fast as the average through Although advanced and high-volume equipment has decreased the demand for bakers in the manufacturing sector, there is a strong demand for bakers in large wholesale stores, specialty shops, bagel stores, and traditional bakeries. Where to Go for More Information American Bakers Association 1350 I St., Ste Washington, DC (202) American Institute of Baking 1213 Bakers Way P.O. Box 3999 Manhattan, KS (785) Retail Bakers of America 8201 Greensboro Dr., Ste. 300 McLean, VA (703) Working Conditions Mostly employed in bakeries, cake shops, grocery store bakery sections, hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias, bakers often work under hot and noisy conditions. They also may work under strict deadlines and may have to take early morning and holiday shifts. A lot of baking is done late at night or in the very early morning hours so that the product is fresh for the beginning of the business day. Bakers may work alone, or be part of a team. They may also have to wait on customers or take special or custom orders from a customer. Earnings and Benefits The median annual salary for a baker is $21,330, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experienced bakers can earn $34,410 per year or more. Bakers working in grocery stores earn a median annual salary of $21,340, while those working in restaurants earned $19,980 per year. Bakers employed by large grocery store chains or general stores receive benefits, such as paid vacation days and health and dental insurance. Those who own their own bakeries or work at small bakeries must provide their own benefits. Candy Manufacturing Worker High School Median $21,420 per year Poor More than two thousand different kinds of candy are produced in the United States. Among the most popular are chocolates, licorice, gumdrops, hard candy and lollipops, and peanut candies. Candy manufacturing workers work in either wholesale or retail plants. Wholesale manufacturers make most of the candy that is produced in this country. They use large machines and equipment to produce the candy for sale in vending machines, supermarkets, and other retail outlets. Although wholesale manufacturers may automate production, the process of manufacturing candy is similar in both types of plants. Retail manufacturers produce candy for sale at their retail stores, generally producing small quantities. Much of the work at a retail plant may be done by hand or with small electronic equipment. Weighers weigh the ingredients, and candy makers mix and cook the ingredients in kettles or vats. The candy is then cut, rolled, or placed in molds to cool. Some candy is coated with chocolate by hand or machine. Hand dippers dip candies in liquid chocolate. Enrober machine operators run machines that coat candies with chocolate. 32 Agribusiness, Environment, and Natural Resources

3 In automated plants candy feeders put candies into machines that shape, wrap, and pack them. Candy packers wrap candies and arrange them in boxes. Workers are employed to perform jobs that must be done by hand, such as decorating. Employees maintain, fix, and clean the candy-making machines and equipment. Others load trucks and deliver the candy to retail stores or service vending machines. Workers are also employed as taste testers, quality control specialists, plant supervisors, sanitary engineers, and management and personnel workers. Requirements Most unskilled workers in the candy-making industry operate the machines used in the manufacturing and packaging processes. Obtaining a job as a machine operator requires some mechanical aptitude as well as a high school diploma, but securing a summer or a part-time job is possible without a high school diploma. Other unskilled jobs, such as cleaning equipment or loading and driving trucks, are generally available without a high school diploma. Semiskilled jobs, such as candy decorating or machine repairing, require workers who have experience and, in some cases, a technical school degree. In some plants formal apprenticeship programs are available. In most candy manufacturing plants informal, on-the-job training is the rule. Technical and managerial positions, such as those of tester, quality control expert, sanitary engineer, plant supervisor, and management worker, require either a technical school or a college degree. Managers may study economics, accounting, advertising, and personnel management. Engineers who design the manufacturing machines must have a bachelor s degree in engineering. Getting the Job The best way to get a job is to apply in person to a local plant. Candy manufacturers generally employ more workers before and during holiday seasons, such as Halloween, Valentine s Day, and Easter. For those who attend a technical school or college, the school s placement office may be helpful in securing a job. Newspaper want ads also carry advertisements for jobs. Advancement Possibilities and Many opportunities for advancement exist in the candy manufacturing industries. Helpers and machine cleaners may become machine operators. Machine operators can advance to more highly skilled production jobs. Production workers may become supervisors or enter management training programs. Workers with experience, skill, and the necessary capital can start their own businesses. The outlook for candy manufacturing workers is poor. In the United States there are currently about eighty-three thousand employees in the confectionery products industry. According to the projected outlook, the industry will lose more than three percent of its workers in the next ten years. Many workers are being replaced by machines. The best job opportunities will go to skilled workers, such as decorators, supervisors, and machine repairers. Working Conditions Working conditions vary considerably, depending on the job. Plant workers may have to work with noisy machines or in cold rooms. Most plants, however, are very clean and well lighted and are considered to be pleasant places in which to Job Profiles No Specialized Training 33

4 Where to Go for More Information American Association of Candy Technologists 175 Rock Rd. Glen Rock, NJ (201) National Confectioners Association of the United States 8320 Old Courthouse Rd., Ste. 300 Vienna, VA (703) work. Office workers generally work in modern buildings away from the noise of machinery. Delivery truck operators generally spend little time at the plant. Most of their time is spent on the road servicing coin-operated machines and delivering their products to retail customers. Most candy manufacturing workers work forty hours a week, but overtime is sometimes necessary during busy seasons. Earnings and Benefits Earnings in the candy manufacturing industry depend to a great extent on the size and location of the plant and the skill of the worker. The annual median salary for a candy manufacturing worker is $21,420. Experienced managers and executives will earn more. Delivery truck operators who service vending machines generally receive a commission, in addition to their salary, based on the number of candy bars that are sold. Workers in these industries also receive benefits such as paid vacations and sick leave, life and health insurance, and retirement pensions. Cheese Industry Worker None Starting $8.50 per hour Poor Cheese industry workers change milk into cheese. They make several varieties of cheese from the hard, soft, and semisoft base products. Each of these types of cheeses uses different ingredients, which the workers blend, cook, and prepare in a different manner. Some of the work in cheese production is done by hand. However, most workers tend machines that produce the cheese. In some plants workers are also responsible for maintaining, cleaning, and performing minor repairs on the machines. Cheese makers usually direct other workers and oversee the use of machines. Workers operate machines that pasteurize and cook the milk. They also monitor the cooking temperature and mix the ingredients into the milk. Ingredients used in cheese making include dye or other coloring and rennet or other cultures. These cultures help to coagulate the milk into curd and whey. Curd is the solid protein part of the milk; whey is the water content. The curd is then separated from the whey and cooked until it reaches the right texture and firmness. Cheese maker helpers assist cheese makers in performing these tasks. Ingredients are added according to a formula that cheese blenders develop for each type of cheese. Cheese blenders also work on charts and formulas for each type of cheese. They select the ingredients needed for the right blend for each batch. Blenders feel, taste, and smell the cheese while they are making it. Cheese blenders and their assistants also check for firmness, mellowness, acidity, and color and check cheeses stored in the warehouse for texture and flavor to ensure that they have ripened and cured them appropriately. 34 Agribusiness, Environment, and Natural Resources

A cheese blender checks the cheese for texture and firmness before it s packaged. ( Phil Schermeister/Corbis.) Cheese-making plants also employ workers to maintain and clean the machines.

5 A cheese blender checks the cheese for texture and firmness before it s packaged. ( Phil Schermeister/Corbis.) Cheese-making plants also employ workers to maintain and clean the machines. Other employees package the cheese, load it onto trucks, or drive delivery trucks to retail stores. Plants also employ workers as quality control inspectors, sanitary engineers, dairy technologists, and management workers such as plant supervisors and personnel workers. Requirements Most cheese industry workers are trained on the job, because there are no specific education requirements. However, many employers prefer to hire high school graduates or people who have had some vocational training. Interested students should take courses in shop. Developing mechanical abilities to check and run equipment is also useful. Some states require workers who operate pasteurizing machinery to be licensed. They must pass a written test for the license. Some plants may also require health certification from a licensed physician. Getting the Job The placement offices at schools can help students find a job in a cheese factory. Most of the large cheese factories are in Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, or other states where milk is plentiful. Many applicants apply directly to the factory for a job. State employment agencies and the newspaper classifieds may list cheese industry jobs. Advancement Possibilities and As cheese maker helpers gain experience and learn about the techniques of cheese making, they may advance to more specialized jobs. It may take several years of experience to become a cheese blender or a cheese maker. Employment in the cheese industry is declining with increasing mechanization of the process. However, the United States is one of the world s largest producers of cheese; in fact, 2003 cheese production produced an all-time high of 8.6 bil- Job Profiles No Specialized Training 35

6 lion pounds, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. There are usually some openings for skilled cheese industry workers. These jobs become available as people retire or leave the position for other employment. Where to Go for More Information Milk Industry Foundation 1250 H St., NW, Ste. 900 Washington, DC (202) National Cheese Institute 1250 H St., NW, Ste. 900 Washington, DC (202) National Dairy Council West Higgins Rd., Ste. 900 Rosemont, IL (847) (800) Working Conditions Since cheese factories, like dairy plants, are licensed and inspected by state health authorities, they are clean. Standards are set to protect the workers from any hazards when they use the equipment. Machines do much of the work. Some workers may use knives to cut and clean cheese. Others may lift molds or stack and pack finished cheeses. Those who mix ingredients must be alert and accurate in their work. Employees usually work between thirty-six and forty hours a week, and many belong to unions. Earnings and Benefits Earnings vary with experience and specific jobs. Beginning workers are paid about $8.50 per hour. Cheese makers and blenders earn higher wages. Union factories usually provide paid holidays and vacations, as well as life insurance. In plants where workers are not members of unions, benefits depend on the individual employer s policies. Dairy Industry Worker High school Average $16.60 per hour Poor Dairy plants turn raw milk into products like cream, butter, and homogenized milk. Dairy plants are heavily automated with equipment that processes and packages milk and milk products. The main job of a dairy industry worker is to maintain, operate, and repair the equipment. Modern plants equipped with closed-circuit televisions may need only one worker to monitor the equipment for each shift. Milk arrives at the dairy plant in refrigerated tank trucks. The truck operators pump the milk into the plant s storage tanks. Receiving workers weigh the raw milk in the tanks and closely monitor their contents. They also operate equipment that standardizes the fat content of the milk. They then pump the milk from the storage tanks to equipment that mixes, or homogenizes, it and removes any impurities. Homogenizing the milk also prevents the cream from separating. The milk then flows into large tanks or vats called pasteurizers. Pasteurization is one of the most important steps in modern dairy production. Production workers heat the milk quickly to 170 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any dangerous bacteria that might be in it. Then they cool it to 38 degrees Fahrenheit just as quickly so that it will not spoil. Workers who watch these vats must pay close attention 36 Agribusiness, Environment, and Natural Resources

Bakers. An employment guide for newcomers to British Columbia

Bakers. An employment guide for newcomers to British Columbia Contents 1. What Would I Do?... 2 2. Am I Suited For This Job?... 3 3. What Are The Wages And Benefits?... 3 4. What Is The Job Outlook In BC?... 4 5. How Do I Become A Baker?... 5 6. How Do I Find A Job?...