As Singapore moves towards Industry 4.0, every worker will be affected by this change. Even bakers, who form a key pillar of the food and beverage (F&B) sector.
To help bakers transform in tandem with the changing F&B landscape in Singapore, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the Singapore Bakery and Confectionery Trade Association (SBCTA) have joined hands to pilot a series of initiatives to identify skills gaps and training needs.
A crucial part of transforming the baking workforce into the next-generation baker, or Baker 4.0, is the nurturing of young bakers, according to e2i.
As part of this Baker 4.0 initiative, e2i and training company Creative Culinaire held the inaugural Junior Baking Symposium in April 2019. Some 50 junior bakers learned about future trends and developments in the technical skillsets in the industry.
SBCTA Secretary-General Judy Koh said: “The baking profession is tough – you must have pride and passion in what you do. I feel there is a need to support and inspire junior bakers so that they too can feel the same pride in the profession. If you have a passion for baking, you will have the stamina for the profession.”
Upcoming initiatives by e2i and SBCTA include plugging skills gaps with a series of modules developed by Creative Culinaire. The modules will focus on bakery management, bread, cake, and pastry skills.
Eligible candidates can potentially receive up to 70 per cent funding on the course fee with a salary adjustment after completing the training.
On top of the course, e2i, SBCTA and Workforce Singapore (WSG) signed a memorandum of understanding on 25 July 2019 at the Chillax Asia 2019 convention to signify a tripartite commitment to further support the manpower needs of the sector.
The convention also saw some 200 baking professionals take a pledge to commit to upskilling and deep-skilling towards becoming Baker 4.0.
“As customers become more exposed to different types of bread and pastries from an increasing number of local and international bakeries, the baking industry will have to step up their game to win the hearts and the taste buds of our food-passionate locals.
“With training, bakers can be equipped with the necessary skillsets to maximise the efficiency of their work, innovate to come up with new, delicious products to excite their customers and increase the overall competitiveness of the business. e2i is looking forward to our continued partnership with SBCTA to roll out more training initiatives for our local bakers and bakeries,” said e2i CEO Gilbert Tan.
