Baking & Snack - November 2020 - 24

STEM FOR WORKFORCE

ABA study explores

industry's investments in
frontline workers
A new study by the American Bakers Association (ABA)
and NDP Analytics found that entry-level frontline
workers in the wholesale baking industry have
opportunities to grow into leadership positions within
their companies.
In 2019, 66% of companies participating in the Baking
Industry's Frontline Workforce Landscape study reported
that at least one in every four frontline supervisors or
managers was promoted from within the business.
Moreover, 39% of surveyed companies spent $1,000
or more per worker on training while 61% spent less
than $1,000 per worker. For comparison, ABA noted, the
manufacturing and distribution sector overall spent an
average of $672 per learner on training in 2019.
Additionally, 76% of companies in 2019 offered
programs designed to recognize and reward workers for
their achievements, and more than 80% of companies
involved frontline workers in safety programs and best
practice management.
Overall, the new study examined commercial baking
and supplier companies' investment in frontline
workforce engagement and career development as well
as the support of their local communities. The report
provides important data that reinforces the baking
industry's role as an essential manufacturing employer.
ABA added that the baking industry also offers
frontline career opportunities that are well-positioned
for veterans of the armed forces. The study found more
than 3,000 veterans were employed in baking industry
frontline careers in 2019. For those companies, the
most common types of veteran-specific programs were
recruitment and training.
In addition to creating career opportunities for
frontline workers, the study found the baking
industry is committed to supporting communities and
reducing its environmental footprint. In 2019, 70%
of companies donated food to food banks or other
charitable distribution outlets, 75% donated money,
67% volunteered, and 43 ABA member facilities were
recognized as 2019 Energy Star-certified manufacturing
plants. Companies donated more than 26 million lbs
of food, gave nearly $7 million to charities and local
organizations and volunteered nearly 31,000 hours. These
contributions only account for a subset of the industry.
For more information on job opportunities in the
baking industry, visit www.BakingWorks.org.

24 Baking & Snack November 2020 / www.bakingbusiness.com

" Being a sponsor could involve simply showing up
and working with the kids for a day, " Ms. Lindsey said.
" Tell them about the baking industry so awareness is
there because students are already interested in engineering. They can work on projects that are applicable to
the baking industry. "
In addition to curriculum development, Ms. Lindsey
works directly with students on creating a food product,
how to prototype it and what's needed to take it to market. Ms. Bauer suggested that this is an integral segment
of a semester-long project.
" The culminating activity for all students is pitching a
novel food product, " she explained. " The process starts
at the beginning of the semester when they start market
research to identify gaps. Over the course of the semester, they refine their product idea, engage with industry
experts, create prototypes in the test kitchen, learn how
to write a business plan and ultimately pitch the product
'Shark Tank'-style. "
A panel of judges, including professionals like
Ms. Poole and Ms. Lindsey, then judge the new products, which are developed in the program's test kitchen.
Mr. Whalen recalled how Kirsty Gordon, a former student, developed a gummy candy called " Fight Bites " that
are shaped like boxing gloves and feature antioxidants to
fight back inflammation and disease. Her team worked
with engineering class students to develop a mould for
producing the candy, evaluated which ones worked the
best and suggested design changes to make them commercially feasible. Ms. Gordon, however, best remembers the class for what Mr. Whalen taught.
" I had the home baking side of food, but Mr. Whalen
came in with the molecular biology side and added that
layer of science that boosted my knowledge going into
college courses, " said Ms. Gordon, a KSU graduate and
now a technical miller with Bay State Milling.
For the final project, she also gained valuable personal
skills, especially from a business and entrepreneurial perspective.
" Giving the big presentation made so many things
easier in college, " said Ms. Gordon, adding that the exploration into the global food industry added " a much
deeper level to the course. "

An eye on the future
In the second semester, the Future of Food dedicates
students' time to a single project or real-life work experiences from local businesses. Mr. Whalen works closely
with each student to develop the semester plan, which is
then mostly driven by student initiative.
Ms. Carter, for instance, received a mini internship
working with a local children's hospital doctor who specializes in food allergies, one of her personal interests.

http://www.BakingWorks.org http://www.bakingbusiness.com

Baking & Snack - November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - November 2020