Finding Talent in a Tight Labour Market

Since 2021, ENØ Bageri has welcomed five international trainees through Bixter’s traineeship programs.

Like many businesses across the hospitality and food production sectors in Denmark, ENØ Bageri faced an increasingly common challenge: finding enough people to support daily operations and future growth.

Quick Facts

• 5 international trainees placed
• Partnership since 2021
• 18-month traineeship programs
• Early Program Processing Time: Up to 37 Weeks 
• Latest Permit Approval Time: Approx. 8 Weeks

The business needed both trainee bakers and additional team members to help maintain production and support long-term development. Local talent shortages made it more difficult to attract new people, creating pressure on existing staff and limiting future capacity. 

Rather than treating the challenge as a short-term staffing issue, ENØ Bageri began looking for a more sustainable way to attract motivated trainees who wanted to learn, develop professionally, and contribute to the business over time.

We’re really short on staff. We need both trainee bakers and workers to help.
Klaus Nielsen, CEO of ENØ Bageri ApS

The need was not only to fill positions, but to create a stronger pipeline of future bakery talent. 

Hear Directly from ENØ Bageri 

In this interview, Klaus Nielsen, owner of ENØ Bageri, explains:

• why the bakery began looking internationally for talent,
• how international trainees contribute to the business,
• and why developing future skills has become increasingly important.

Looking Beyond Local Recruitment 

To address growing talent needs, ENØ Bageri partnered with Bixter in 2021 to access international traineeship pathways.

The goal was not simply to add more people to the team. It was to identify motivated trainees who wanted to develop their skills while gaining practical experience in a professional Danish bakery environment.

One example is Prasad, who joined ENØ Bageri from India as part of the programme.

For ENØ Bageri, international traineeships created an opportunity to combine immediate operational support with long-term talent development.

For the trainee, the programme provided access to practical experience, new techniques, and professional growth opportunities.

The traineeship programme typically runs for 18 months, giving participants time to build practical bakery experience, strengthen their daily routines, and develop confidence in a professional production environment.

Learning Through Daily Work 

A key part of the program is professional development.

Prasad explained that one of his main goals was to increase his skills, improve his speed, and continue developing through practical experience.

“Increase skill and work fast, speed and all.”
Prasan, Bixter Trainee

ENØ Bageri provides a real production environment where trainees can strengthen their abilities while learning new methods, routines, and workplace standards.

This creates value for both sides:

• ENØ Bageri gains motivated talent.
• The trainee gains practical international experience.
• Skills continue to develop through daily work.

Connecting Talent Development with Business Needs 

The partnership with Bixter helped ENØ Bageri access international trainees through a structured programme designed to support both host companies and participants.

The model combines:

• candidate matching,
• administrative coordination,
• mobility and permit support,
• arrival planning,
• and practical workplace integration.

This allows ENØ Bageri to focus on developing people inside the business while Bixter supports the process behind the placement.

Because bakery traineeships were still relatively uncommon when the first applications were submitted, the early permit process was considerably longer than today. One of the first placements took approximately 37 weeks from application to permit approval, reflecting the complexity of introducing a new traineeship pathway within the sector.

As the process became more established, approval times from SIRI improved significantly. The most recent trainee received a permit in approximately 8 weeks, which is now considered a normal processing timeframe. 

After permit approval, arrival typically takes an additional one to two weeks depending on travel arrangements and programme start dates.

The result is a more structured approach to international traineeships, where preparation, mobility, documentation, and integration work together as one connected process.

What ENØ Bageri Gained

The collaboration has helped ENØ Bageri begin addressing its talent shortage while building a stronger foundation for future expansion.

Key Outcomes

• Five international trainees successfully placed since 2021
• Access to motivated international trainees interested in bakery production
• Additional support for daily operations
• Development opportunities for trainees
• A growing talent pipeline for future needs
• Reduced dependence on local talent availability
• Long-term planning for business growth

Most importantly, ENØ Bageri now has a proven pathway for attracting new talent as future needs increase.

Planning for Continued Growth 

After more than four years of collaboration with Bixter, ENØ Bageri views international traineeships as an important part of its long-term talent strategy.

With demand for bakery talent expected to remain high, management anticipates continuing to welcome international trainees in the years ahead.

The experience has demonstrated that international traineeships can support both immediate operational needs and the long-term development of future bakery talent.

In the next couple of years we will really need some more employees here.
Klaus Nielsen, CEO of ENØ Bageri ApS

For ENØ Bageri, international traineeships are not only helping solve today’s challenge — they are helping prepare for tomorrow’s growth. 

We’re expecting to hire more students from Bixter on the way.
Klaus Nielsen, CEO of ENØ Bageri ApS