BAKERY RISES TO WORKER CHALLENGE
BUSINESS owners Nick and Kate Land have gone above and beyond to make their rural town feel like home for their migrant staffers, but now they are eager to help more families secure visas to help breathe new life into Cunnamulla.
Over the years the Cunnamulla Bakery owners have found it difficult to attract and retain staff but soon found a few small changes made a huge difference – diving into buying and furnishing accommodation, ordering in traditional and cultural foods, and paving the way for their staff to connect socially with the community.
“Recruiting staff has been our biggest program, that’s why we’ve gone the way of helping people with visas and immigration,” Mr Land said.
“Our current baker Fida is from Malaysia and is a huge asset to our business, as well as her husband Eddie who jumps in to help. Different nationalities bring different ideas and different types of food. We enjoy having a multicultural team, we can sit down and talk about what products we’re going to make and how to improve variety.”
The Lands’ efforts have not gone unnoticed with the proud business owners receiving the Individual Award in the inaugural Welcoming Cities Awards for Change for their work in ensuring their staff feel welcome and are embraced by the local community.
Mr Land said rural businesses needed more support from state and federal government to recruit migrant workers, such as more flexible visa options for rural areas.
“These rural towns are dying slowly and people from other countries are wanting to come to Australia with their families,” he said. “There are plenty of jobs available and businesses waiting to welcome them with open arms.”