Questions from and for baking apprentices.
I'm 16 and keen to be a baker but the 3am starts freak me out. Does your body ever actually get used to it?
Mostly, yes, but only if you work with it instead of fighting it. The first couple of months are rough. You will feel jet lagged, and the worst thing you can do is try to live a normal teenage schedule on top of a baker's one. The people who last go to bed early every night, including on days off as much as they can, keep the room dark, and do not slam energy drinks to get through the shift. Weekends are where it gets hard, because your mates are going out when you should be asleep. Be honest with yourself about that. The upside is real though: you finish by lunchtime most days, the roads are empty on the way in, and there is something good about being the person who makes the town's bread. If after six months you are still wrecked every day, talk to your boss or look at cake and pastry work, which often starts a bit later.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified baker
I'm a first year at a supermarket bakery and we bake a lot of frozen stuff. Will I actually learn enough to get my Cert III?
Fair question, and you are right to ask it now instead of in third year. The Cert III in Baking has core units in laminated pastry, basic and savoury breads, sponges, cakes, biscuits and production scheduling, and you have to prove you can actually make that product, not just bake off someone else's. Sit down with your bakery manager and your TAFE trainer together and go through your training plan unit by unit. Ask which units the store can cover with scratch baking and how the rest will be done. Often the answer is some units at TAFE or extra time on scratch lines. If nobody has a plan, push for one, and keep notes of what you are actually doing on shift. A good supermarket bakery can be a great place to train. You just need to make sure you are not stuck on the bake-off rack for three years.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified baker
I've been getting a blocked nose and sneezing at work, and lately my chest feels tight after mixing. Is that the flour?
It could well be, and you need to take it seriously now, not in a year. Flour dust is a well known cause of occupational asthma in bakers, and it often starts with exactly what you are describing: runny or blocked nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, then chest tightness, coughing or wheezing. Once you are sensitised, even small amounts can set you off, so catching it early matters. Go to your GP, tell them you work in a bakery, and ask about testing. Tell your boss too, because your employer has a legal duty to control the dust. Simple things make a big difference: lids or covers on mixers, tipping flour slowly and low, adding water before flour where the recipe allows, using a vacuum instead of a brush or air gun, and wearing a properly fitted respirator for dusty jobs. Do not just push through it. Plenty of good bakers have had to leave the trade because they ignored this.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified baker
My TAFE offers the full Baking cert, Bread Baking, or Cake and Pastry. Which one should I pick?
Start with what your employer actually makes, because you have to prove the units on the job. If you are in a typical suburban bakery doing bread, pies, slices and a few cakes, the full Certificate III in Baking is the obvious pick. It covers bread, cake, pastry and biscuits, and it keeps the most doors open if you move bakeries later. If you are at an artisan bread shop or a plant bakery, Bread Baking lines up better with your daily work. If you are in a patisserie doing croissants, tarts and entremets, Cake and Pastry is the natural fit. My advice for most people is the full Cert III, then add skills later. A baker who can do a bit of everything is easier to hire, and the specialist stuff like artisan bread or gateaux can come through electives or the Cert IV in Baking once you are qualified.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified baker
I'm 27 and want to leave my office job to become a baker. Is it worth doing an apprenticeship at my age?
Plenty of people do it, and adult apprentices are often the ones employers like most, because you turn up and you are not distracted. On pay, if you are 21 or older when you start you are an adult apprentice, and the awards set a higher minimum for you than for juniors. Look up your rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than guessing. It will still be a pay cut from most office jobs, so build a budget before you resign. The bigger adjustment is the hours. Going from 9 to 5 to a 3am start is a shock, and it affects your partner, friends and weekends. Before you quit, try to get a few trial shifts or a casual early morning job in a bakery so you know what you are signing up for. If you still love it after a month of early starts, it is a trade where skill, not age, decides how far you go.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified baker
