Mixing Up the Future Workforce: A New Recipe for the Baking Industry

Every great loaf starts with the right ingredients, and the same is true for building a strong workforce. The American Bakers Association (ABA) is preparing to take something fresh out of the oven: a new way to engage the next generation through profession-based learning.

The foundation is already there. experience.work, an open-access platform connecting students to real-world career opportunities, is helping industries rethink how they inspire and prepare young talent. Over the next year, the baking industry will add its unique flavor—introducing “career recipes” and connection points designed to help students and companies rise together.

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This work matters because I’ve seen firsthand, through years in business and economic development, what happens when talent pipelines break down. Communities suffer, companies struggle, and young people miss out on opportunities. Profession-based learning flips the script. It invites students into authentic projects, alongside professionals, where they gain clarity and confidence about their future—and where businesses get an early look at the workforce they’ll need tomorrow.

For commercial baking, this means more than filling jobs. It’s about showing students the wide range of careers—production, engineering, food science, supply chain, technology—that all come together to keep America fed. The “career recipes” don’t just show steps on a pathway; they give students a taste of what the work is really like and a chance to rise to the challenge.

For companies, this is more than icing on the cake. It’s a strategic investment. By opening their doors—literally and figuratively—employers show students the depth of opportunity in the industry, while breaking down the stereotypes that have long kept young people from considering baking a career destination.

Over the next year, as ABA unveils these baking-specific connections through experience.work, we’ll see a model for workforce development that is fresh, practical, and sustainable. It’s about treating students not as “someday” workers, but as today’s partners in learning.

Just like in baking, timing is everything. With workforce shortages kneading attention across all industries, now is the time to act. By mixing the right ingredients—students, educators, and industry professionals—we can bake up opportunities that last.

The future of commercial baking isn’t half-baked. It’s rising, it’s ready, and it’s about to be served.

If your company wants a seat at the table—or better yet, a hand in the kitchen—now is the time to get involved. Reach out to learn how you can help shape the “career recipes” that will inspire the workforce of tomorrow.

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