The state's well documented skills shortage is not just restricted to the resources sector with a leading baker forced to hire 20 bakers from Vietnam because of after an Australian-wide skill shortage.
The Brumby's bakery franchise said it had made the decision to hire the foreign bakers as a last resort after a two year recruitment drive failed to secure enough qualified Australian staff for its stores.
Brumby's WA master franchisee David Bosworth said that unfortunately the baking industry is suffering the same skills shortage that has necessitated the recent hiring of overseas workers for the mining industry.
"Hopefully, with government and industry encouragement, we will soon see more young Australians undertaking traditional trades like baking so we can overcome this skills shortage."
The new bakers, who all have Australian Trade Qualifications, will be employed at bakeries across Australia with ten destined for West Australian bakeries.
"The shortage of qualified bakers had left some franchises close to closing in recent months, while other store owners who have wanted to expand have had to shelve those plans," Mr Bosworth said.
Mr Bosworth said while foreign chefs had been coming to Australia since the 1950s, the Australian Government had only recently widened its program to include trades such as baking in the face of the skills shortage.
