How to become a Baker

Duties & Tasks of a Baker

Bakers:

• Check that equipment meets health and safety regulations
• Check the quality of raw materials and weigh ingredients
• Mix dough and batters by hand or machine, then place in tins or trays
• Load tins or trays into ovens, keeping an eye on the oven temperatures and the appearance of the bread, cake or pastry
• Unload ovens when the bread and other products are baked, take products out of trays and put aside to cool
• Glaze or decorate cakes and pastries with icing or cream
• Order baking supplies from wholesalers
• Operate slicing and wrapping machines
• Serve customers.

Tasks

• Empties, cleans and greases baking trays, tins and other cooking equipment.
• Implements appropriate baking techniques.
• Glazes buns and pastries, and decorating cakes with cream and icing.
• Operating machines which roll and mould dough and cut biscuits.
• Checks the cleanliness of equipment and operating site to ensure compliance with health and safety regulation.
• Prepares pastry fillings.
• Checks quality of raw materials and weighs ingredients.
• Co-ordinates the forming, loading, baking, unloading, de-panning and cooling of batches of breads, rolls and pastry products.
• Monitors oven temperature and products appearance.

Working conditions for a Baker

The increased use of machinery has reduced heavy work for bakers. However, they still have to stand a lot of the time. Most bakers work full time, and they often work late at night or early in the morning. They may also work on weekends and public holidays. Conditions in the bakery are usually hot and humid.

Employment Opportunities for a Baker

Bakers are employed in factories producing baked products, specialty cake stores, 'in-house' bakeries in supermarkets and independent or franchise bakeries. Bakers with sufficient start-up money may set up their own businesses.

Specializations

Baker

Bakers make bread, cakes and pastries using flour and other ingredients.

• 

  Average age

  36

• 

  Future Growth

  N/A

• 

  Gender Share

  28% female

• 

  Average full-time

  43 hours

• 

  Weekly Pay

  N/A

• 

  Skill level rating

  Medium skill

• 

  Unemployment

  Lower unemployment

• 

  Full-Time Share

  66%

• 

  Employment Size

  18,700

• 

  Employment by state

  ACT: 1.1%
  NSW: 29.6%
  NT: 0.6%
  QLD: 18.8%
  SA: 9.1%
  TAS: 2.9%
  VIC: 28.2%
  WA: 9.6%
  
• 

  Age brackets

  15-19: 6.2%
  20-24: 14.2%
  25-34: 29.9%
  35-44: 21.7%
  45-54: 17.3%
  55-59: 5.9%
  60-64: 3.3%
  65 and Over: 1.6%
  
• 

  Education level

  Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 7.2%
  Bachelor degree: 6.8%
  Certificate III/IV: 42.9%
  Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 1.6%
  Year 10 and below: 16.4%
  Year 11: 4.9%
  Year 12: 20.1%