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Bakers to Upgrade Their Skills

The Saint Lucia Technical, Vocational, and Educational Training (SLC-TVET) Council has partnered with the Saint Lucia Bakers Association to upgrade bakers’ skills on the island and ensure the industry’s sustainability.

Recently, the council consulted with its partners to implement measures that will enable workers to meet essential employment standards.

Sylvia Cadasse – Manager of Manees Bakery, asserts that the public is largely unaware of the intricate operations within the baking sector. She notes that baking should be recognised as “a science” and a viable career path for individuals to develop professional skills.

Presently, the sector is grappling with significant recruitment, retention, and skills development challenges.

Lena Cadasse – Managing Director of Cadasse Bakery highlights the critical issue of an aging workforce, stating, “We have many bakeries in our industry, and we must attract and retain young talent.”

However, young people identify key barriers, including a lack of job skills, negative perceptions about the profession, and inadequate compensation. One young woman expressed, “Many people are not interested in learning because they lack the necessary skills or training opportunities, which deters them from pursuing this path.”

Another young female added, “The manual labour aspect discourages interest in bakery jobs, especially as we move toward a more technology-driven era.”

Lena Cadasse, the young professional in the family business noted that while many bakeries can offer competitive salaries, misconceptions about low pay persist.

“It is fair to say that many bakeries can offer a competitive salary, so there might be the notion that bakeries don’t pay as well, and compensation is not as high (as other jobs),” she said.

She clarified that, despite not providing “seasonal benefits” like those found in the hospitality sector, “the baking industry offers solid pay scales and attractive remuneration packages.”

In response to these concerns, the TVET Council is committed to spearheading initiatives that promote careers in commercial food preparation with a specific emphasis on baking.

“We have initiated discussions, and while it’s common to think that training institutions solely drive workforce development, it is, in fact, a collaborative effort among industry, training institutions, and other stakeholders,” Perry Thomas SLC-TVET Director stated.

These dialogues have laid a solid foundation for further development, with agencies like the Ministry of Commerce expressing interest in advancing the industry.

“By joining forces, we are taking decisive steps toward this goal,” Thomas added.

As the industry evolves, bakeries have embraced automation to enhance efficiency, consistency, and product quality, and in so doing are looking to attract more employees and foster growth in the sector.

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