Staff shortages preventing Chittick's Bakery from accepting lucrative national contract

Chittick's Bakery general manager Paul Lockwood said he had found it increasingly difficult to find staff since the start of 2022.

He is on the lookout for three bakers and two labourers, but the applications are few and far between.

"I've got people working extra hours and I've had to forego growth opportunities because we can't get the right people in the right roles," Mr Lockwood said.

One opportunity is to supply products to a business which has 1100 outlets nationwide.

Mr Lockwood said Chittick's supplied products to businesses right across Victoria, along with some in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

He said he believed some people didn't want to be a baker because of the early morning starts.

"Most bakers start at 2am in the morning and that's not very attractive to some people," Mr Lockwood said.

However, he said Chittick's bakers usually kept similar hours to most office staff.

Mr Lockwood said he believed the federal government should help "mobilise the grey army".

He believes older people would take up the opportunity to work if the extra income didn't affect their pension.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't be mobilising the grey army," Mr Lockwood said.

"There's a lot of experience and they would be paying tax, so it seems like a no-brainer."

Mr Lockwood said the other issue in Warrnambool was a lack of housing.

"The lack of housing compounds the issue," he said.

"On top of that, the cost makes it hard for people wanting to move to Warrnambool as well."

Mr Lockwood said he believed all levels of government should remove red tape that delayed housing developments from being built.

He said he had advertised the positions on Seek and the South West Jobs Facebook page, but was not having much success.

Mr Lockwood said he was willing to take on either qualified bakers or apprentices.

"All they need is a willingness to learn and a desire to pursue a career in the food industry," he said.

Mr Lockwood said the wholesale arm of the business was the area with the biggest expansion, while the bakery in Warrnambool remains extremely busy on a daily basis.

The business also offers catering for some events.

IN OTHER NEWS

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: