Cooking

What is cooking?  

Cooks prepare and present a wide variety of foods. Cooks duties may include some or all of the following: prepare complete meals or individual dishes and food product, prepare special dietary consideration foods and meals, participate in the scheduling and supervision of kitchen staff, oversee food production operation, maintain operational inventory and record, participate and maintain effective sanitation procedures, may plan menus and determine food quality, quantity and cost, participate in the hiring and training of food production staff. Cooks may specialize in the preparation of ethnic or specialty dishes. 

Cooks perform some or all of the following duties: 

HOW TO JOIN THE FIELD 

Completion of secondary school is usually required. 

Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program for cooks or Completion of college or other program in cooking or Several years of commercial cooking experience are required. 

Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories. 

Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified cooks upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination. 

INDIGENOUS AND REMOTE CONSIDERATIONS 

In many indigenous and remote communities, commercial kitchens and restaurants may be limited. While there may be a restaurant in town, it may be difficult to get an apprenticeship in this field without relocating to a larger centre. If the community has hotels, mining activity or tourism, there may be opportunities to get jobs with existing companies, however, in the absence of this, developing a home-based catering business may be suitable. 

Many Indigenous and remote communities have online Facebook pages where baked goods could be marketed and sold. **Please note it is important to get all the proper licensing and food safety certifications to run a business, even from your home. 

DISABILITY CONSIDERATIONS 

Cooking can be a wonderful career for persons with disabilities to display creativity and in some kitchens, predictability. Depending on the specific job and the disability in question, it could present some challenges.  Cooking can require standing for long periods of time, it can also require being in hot environments. 

Cooking and the Skills for Success Program

The key Skills for Success for this career path are:

• Reading 
• Collaboration
• Communication

Cooking