bake - June 2016 - 12

labor front

Filling the Skills Gap
The American Bakers Association's HR Committee recently

manufacturing locations.  This program is another tool to

honed in on speciﬁc programs and resources the baking

help decrease the critical shortage the industry is now facing

industry can utilize to help ﬁll the current and expected skills

regarding skilled maintenance mechanics.

gap within the industry.  After reviewing detailed data from
"The Workforce Gap in U.S. Commercial Baking: Trends,

The Workforce Gap report, commissioned by both ABA and the

Challenges and Solutions," HR Committee members discussed

American Society of Baking, provides details on how wide the

the proposed solutions suggested by the project as well as

gap is for the baking industry, and more importantly, sets forth

heard from outside experts on programs that will help in

a framework for solutions and programs to help ﬁll the gap. 

recruiting, development and retention. 
"Preliminary details show that the dearth in skilled talent,
The HR Committee will continue to work on solutions to help

especially involving maintenance and engineering positions, is

ﬁll the workforce gap facing the baking industry throughout

a major concern for the industry, and the gap will only continue

the rest of 2016. In October 2016 just before the start of the

to widen should the status quo remain," says ABA president

IBIE 2016 expo in Las Vegas, ABA will host another HR & Labor

and CEO Robb MacKie. "But, more importantly, the report

Conference, spending a full day discussing tools and resources

sheds light on some great programs currently underway within

available to address the void of skilled talent needed to ﬁll

the industry, and ABA will focus the rest of 2016 to bring forth

critical positions within the industry. 

tools and resources to help bakers take steps to address their
individual talent management needs."

At the most recent committee meeting, attendees heard from
Paula Marshall, President and CEO, and Lindsey Sage, Health

The report dives into speciﬁcs regarding trends among the

and Wellness Manager, with the Bama Companies regarding

baking industry, including detailed information on the current

what bakers need to know when building a successful health

and expected gap, along with speciﬁc information on challenges

management strategy that gets results.  Attendees learned how

and solutions related to recruitment, training and retention. Of

to make their health and wellness program a major component

note, 84 percent of bakers indicated that machine operators are

of the overall beneﬁts plan to help attract and retain talent.

deﬁcient in needed skills when hired or promoted.

In addition, Stacey Rose, HR and Labor Relations Manager

At the same time, bakers indicated that the No. 1 challenge

with The Kroger Co., and Bill Klaus, US Dept. of Labor (DOL)

they face in recruiting individuals to enter the industry is a

Georgia State Director, shared the success that The Kroger Co.

lack of brand identity. "Not only do new hires lack the required

is now having with the DOL's apprenticeship program.  The

knowledge to help ﬁll critical needs within the bakery, qualiﬁed

Kroger Co. has partnered with several state Departments of

individuals are not aware of the beneﬁts of a career in baking,

Labor to build out apprenticeship programs geared toward

creating extremely barren recruiting grounds for the industry,"

training technical talent that ﬁts the needs of several Kroger

MacKie says.

12 < JUN 2016 | bakemag.com
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bake - June 2016

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