Pro Tip: Schools that offer electrical control training, welding and fabrication, and robotic programming create a route to a specialized role in food manufacturing.

This tip is not intended for the 3,500 connections I might have on LinkedIn, but rather for all the readers of www.bakingbusiness.com that might pass this along to individuals who need to hear these ideas.

This includes the high school senior that is not yet committed to a college — the “gappers,” those choosing a gap year or two between high school and university in order to figure out what they want to do, or those individuals who have graduated with degrees and have not yet landed in their desired field.

This tip can be taken in two ways. You can see this as (1) an urge to get into a trade school to learn something new that can lead to gainful employment; or (2) put school to the side and take an entry-level job in our industry that can lead to promotions through training, personal development and desire.

Let us tackle the trade school route first. During the early 2000s, the term trade school almost evaporated. Low enrollment levels, lack of interest from the new breed of youngsters and the reduced promotion of the programs caused school administrators to reconsider remaining open. Many closed shop altogether.

Even the American Institute of Baking closed its doors to the bakery mechanics who were looking to learn and advance.

This closing was prompted not because of desire; rather, it was the minimal support from the companies in the industry. A company’s leadership couldn’t justify sending a mechanic out for 20 weeks or so of education.

While this idea has its challenges, trade school opportunities do exist. Schools that offer electrical control training, welding and fabrication, and robotic programming can provide a route to a specialized role in the food manufacturing space.

Bakeries specifically must hire specialists for roles necessary for the care and troubleshooting of the sophisticated systems that vendors have installed in bakeries over the last 10 years.

Food safety regulations have opened the door for high-quality stainless-steel welding and fabrication. Trade schools can get you there.

The other track suggests simply jumping into an entry-level role, be aggressive, show ambition to learn and soak in all you can.

When that happens, companies recognize it and see the potential in a beginner. This can lead to a company providing training and development programs either internally or externally.

Companies need to see self-driven effort. When that is obvious, the sky can be the limit so long as the individual has a hunger, not an expectation.

Jeff Dearduff is owner of JED Manufacturing Services who provides “Bakery Guy Tips” to those everyday people working in production, maintenance and engineering. Connect with him on LinkedIn.