At a time when unemployment levels are high and COVID-19 has hurt job opportunities, one local business is struggling to get apprentices.
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John Reminis, who runs the Bakehouse Delights at Nowra East and Callala, has been in the baking industry for more than 50 years and has never seen it as tough as it is now to get apprentices.
"We could put two [apprentices] on tomorrow easily," he said.
"But we can't get anyone to fill the positions.
"Sure it's a hard industry, long hours - but it's a job.
"We have really struggled as an industry over the past decade or so to attract apprentices.
"We can't get an apprentice - we've tried and tried - we've got a couple and they last a month or a few weeks."
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He admits baking is a "tough" industry.
"Sure it's hard work - the hours, the job, the work but we also have to battle with things like Job Keeper," he said.
"Sometimes it's easier to take that than work."
He's the first to admit "baking is a tough gig".
We could put two apprentices on tomorrow easily. But we can't get anyone to fill the positions.
- Baker John Reminis
"The hours are tough - when all your friends are going out having a good time, you're working," he said.
"There's Saturdays, Sundays, all night work but it's a job.
"Chefs are no different, either are coppers, firies, ambos - they've all got the same problem."
Mr Reminis said he "could put on two apprentices tomorrow".
"We put them on a three month trial - make sure they like it, make sure we like them and they like us and go from there," he said.
"It's a four year apprenticeship - you go to TAFE in Wollongong for three years and here at Nowra you can learn from some of the best in the business."
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He's talking about four of his qualified bakers - his son John Jnr, Mikayla Brightling, Brendon Woodward and Lachlan Kerr, who have all either represented Australia or won state or national titles.
"You will get to learn from the best - they are all around 25 or 26 and on the top of their games," Mr Reminis said.
"The ball is in their [any prospective apprentices'] court.
"This shows you where you can go - the opportunities are endless.
"Baking's a bit like rugby if you really want to put in you can go anywhere."
Each baking shift is eight hours - some start work at 6pm, while others are at 7-8-9pm.
"There's also a day shift," he said "that's a paradise shift but there is only a certain number on that."
Mr Reminis employs 30 staff between the two bakeries, which includes 10 qualified bakers.
"It's never been this hard to attract apprentices," he said.
"Going back when I was a young bloke they'd be lined up looking for work.
"I do believe Australia has become a bit soft - you can go and work as a lollipop man on the side of the road and earn more money.
"The BHP's of the world haven't helped - they are paying enormous money and then we've got to try and catch up and compete - we can't.
"All our people get above the award money but it's hard.
"And the competition of the supermarkets makes it tough - we can't compete with $1.30 loaf of bread - it's impossible."
Sure it's a hard industry, long hours, hard work, sacrifices etc but it's a job.
- Baker John Reminis
He said it is a career where males and females can both succeed.
"It does seem to be a male dominated industry, but girls who take it on can be just as successful," he said.
As for selling the industry to any prospective bakers.
"First I ask them why they want to be a baker?" Mr Reminis said.
"What makes them think they want to be a baker - I tell them all the bad things - it's a hard gig, hard work, missing out on what mates are doing etc
"But it's rewarding - if it's in the heart it's a great job.
"It's the old saying, if you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life and that's true.
"It's no trouble, it's a lovely job.
"If you're not afraid of hard work, challenging hours but a rewarding career, baking is for you!
It's the old saying, if you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life and that's true.
- Baker John Reminis
"In this trade you will never ever be out of work and you can travel the world with it.
"Lots of our guys have been overseas baking in France, Belgium, England, Italy the traditional baking countries of the world.
"The sky's the limit and that's in all trades."
He says he will happily stand out the front of his shop and accept resumes.
Opportunities are endless
Brendon Woodward, 27, has been a baker for nine years, it was his first job from high school.
"I was looking for work, found baking and I stuck with it," he said.
"There are so many opportunities in the trade - it can open a lot of doors - hospitality and food base is global. You can travel the world."
He has represented Australia at WorldSkills and was the Bake Skills bread champion.
Specialising in sourdough and artisan bread, he has also travelled overseas working on the BBM (Big Brother Movement) Scholarship for two months and then went back and worked overseas for a year.
Twenty-two-year-old Lachlan Kerr completed his apprenticeship just over a year ago.
"I'd been looking for a job since I was 16, saw this advertised and as a 17-year-old left school and took it up," he said.
"I don't mind the hours - most of my friends are in the industry so we all know what it's like and try and catch up on weekdays."
Small breads and general sweet yeasts are his focus, where he also won National Excellence of Baking in 2018.
John Reminis Jnr has represented Australia on numerous occasions, has won both Bake Skills and WorldSkills nationally, was a member of the Australian Junior Baking team, been to WorldSkills in Brazil, competed in Jakarta and in France where he placed second in the Young Bakery Hopeful Competition and was the Baking Associations of Australia Apprentice Baker of the Year.
He says baking is a job you "fall in love with".
"It makes you want to get up and go to work - it's not work - you love it."
At 26, he says you fall in love with the craft which becomes "a passion".
"It's satisfying to put in all the work and then see at the end what you have produced," he said.
"There is so much more to the industry than just making bread or pies - you never know where it can lead."
Mikayla Brightling, 25, travels from Wollongong each day to Nowra for work.
She believed she was "born" into the industry.
"My grandmother was a pastry chef in Greece," she said. "I have always been around it - I didn't see myself doing anything else."
Sure it's a hard career at times - it's not easy, you have to have the right mindset and have a passion for it - have that and it's never work.
- Baker Mikayla Brightling
She specialises in pastries, cakes and desserts, a career path she says is "rewarding".
"Everyone at a party wants to know when the cake's coming out," she laughed.
"Everyone enjoys cakes - they provide happiness.
"Sure it's a hard career at times - it's not easy, you have to have the right mindset and have a passion for it - have that and it's never work."
That has also led to her representing Australia at Bake Skills and WorldSkills, travelling to Singapore and Belgium. And at one stage was the Australian Apprentice of the Year.
John, Brendon and Mikayla are held in such regard in the industry that all three are part of the seven judge panel that judges the Australian Best Pie and Pastie competition.
"It's pretty cool to have three of seven judges nationwide right here in Nowra," Mr Reminis said.
"And these are the sorts of people you will be learning from day in day out!
"It's a great opportunity."
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