Labour shortage facing Jugiong jam factory solved by hiring country kids
Most of the jam factory's workforce are local children aged 11 and up. (Supplied)
A successful cafe in country New South Wales has been able to expand thanks in no small part to its region's kids.
When Huw and Juliet Robb opened their cafe in 2006, the tiny town of Jugiong on the banks of the Murrumbidgee was largely undisturbed by the outside world.
But as more and more tourists drew up to their converted general store and the reputation of their preserves grew, Jugiong was suddenly on the map and the Robbs realised they'd need a bigger kitchen.
Food and hospitality have put the tiny town of Jugiong on the tourist trail. (Supplied)
"We couldn't produce the amount of jams and relishes that we were selling at the cafe in the cafe kitchen anymore, it was just getting too hectic in there," Huw Robb said
"So we decided to build a commercial kitchen."
Staffing pickle
With Jugiong's population sitting at about 200, staffing the factory kitchen presented an immediate challenge.
"We realised we were unlikely to attract skills and talent out of the city into a regional place like Jugiong, so we needed to build our team from the ground up," Mr Robb said.
Tucked in the sprawling farming properties across the surrounding township's such as Coolac, Cootamundra, Gundagai and Binalong lay a potential labour force – country kids.
Most of the factory workers are country kids from surrounding farms. (Supplied)
The secret was making the jam factory somewhere they'd want to contribute to.
Now, school kids make up the majority of the factory's 100-strong workforce.
Work hard, play hard
The Long Track Pantry runs the factory and its head of wellbeing and culture Treen Brooker said it took staff aged 11 and up.
"They work hard but it's really fun," she said.
In NSW, there's no minimum working age, and children aged 12 and under can get a tax file number if a parent or guardian signs on their behalf.
The school kids are paid award wages and mostly work in the hospitality side of the business.
At the Jugiong jam factory, kids are onboarded with strict training programs devised by staff members with teaching backgrounds.
Kids prepare capsicums for preserves on the factory floor. (Supplied)
Staff members in their late teens or early 20's help get the young kids started on dishwashing and food preparation, before they graduate to customer-facing roles.
"They slowly get moved up and out and it's always a great excitement for them when they move into the next area," Ms Brooker said.
"So many of our managers now are the ones that have started at 11."
There's an emphasis on having fun but also on how to contribute to a community. Staff are encouraged to support local causes with both their tips and their newly acquired skills.
"We donated to the Eugowra flood crisis using staff tips," Ms Brooker said.
"At the moment we're pulling together a Cootamundra soup kitchen which the kids will staff."
The Robbs built a commercial kitchen to keep up with demand for their jams and relishes. (Supplied: Juliet Robb)
Boredom buster
Harden sisters Poppy and Beatrice Lucas both started working at the Jugiong jam factory when they were 11.
"I was so excited when I got my first shift and I counted down the days till I started," Poppy said.
"I just loved it, I still do."
Now aged 14 and 13, both girls still work at the factory, which they credit with giving them real-world skills that would be otherwise hard to acquire.
Poppy and Beatrice Lucas both started working at the jam factory aged 11. (Supplied)
"I was just so bored on the weekends like, you know, it can get really boring there's not much to do in Harden," Poppy said.
"This job gives you something to do and a chance to talk to people."
Beatrice agrees.
"It's given me money to spend. I've met people and it's given me real life skills," she said.
"Some of my friends don't understand when I say, 'Oh, I'm working this weekend,'" Poppy said.
"They're like, 'Why would you want to work?' but I like it.
"It gives me a sense of pride."
Editor's note 11/04/2023: This article has been amended from the original version, which stated children must be at least 11 years old to get a tax file number. Children aged 12 and under can get a tax file number if a parent or guardian signs on their behalf.