Bakers make bread, cakes and pastries using flour and other ingredients.
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.
How much can I expect to earn?
Full-time employed Baker earn an average of $832 per week. The [average annual
salary for this job is $43264 excluding super.]
Personal requirements
enjoy practical work
good hand-eye coordination
good health, with no skin allergies or chest complaints
able to cope with the physical demands of the job
neat and clean
good literacy and numeracy skills
good organisational skills.
This job also involves:
Full use of hands/fingers
Use of precision or semi-precision tools or instruments or deft hand movements
are required for these occupations. Included are jobs where poor co-ordination
or incomplete use of hands or fingers may make tasks dangerous or difficult to
undertake.
Hot, cold or humid environment
These jobs are generally performed in an unusually hot, cold or humid
environment, so may be unsuitable for people who have diabetes or other
conditions aggravated by extremes of temperature or humidity.
Mainly indoor work
Workers performing these jobs would usually be expected to spend more than
three-quarters of their day indoors, in an office, factory or other enclosed
area protected from the weather.
Reading or writing
These jobs require moderate or better reading and writing skills. Workers may
be expected to prepare, understand or act on written materials, such as
letters or reports. People may wish to avoid these jobs if their reading or
writing English skills are limited to a small range of words or phrases and
symbols. Jobs remaining may still require very basic reading or writing
skills.
Standing for long periods
The main duties and tasks involved in these jobs are usually performed
standing up for periods of at least two hours at a stretch.
This occupation offers jobs at the following skill levels:
Skilled Trade Jobs
These jobs do not usually require completion of secondary education, however
further part-time study usually at Certificate III level, and on-the-job
training offered as an apprenticeship, is required.
Study requirements
At school, you can study these subject(s) to get a good foundation for this
occupation:
Home Economics
School subjects that include some aspect of HOME ECONOMICS provide a useful
background to these jobs. In some cases a home economics-related subject is a
pre-requisite for entry to courses that provide the training for the job.
Duties and tasks of a Baker
Bakers may perform the following tasks:
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