

(Posted on 26/05/21)
Ships’ cooks have a unique role on board a vessel and it is widely known that a well fed crew is essential to the effective running of a ship. Ensuring every ship has a properly trained and experienced cook on board is vital. To support both employers and ships’ cooks, the International Chamber of Shipping has produced a brand new record book to enable ships’ cooks to track their career progression and communicate their expertise and experience to employers and colleagues. This is the first global resource to help cooks on board demonstrate competency and record their training and experience as they develop their careers at sea.
The new Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks can be used by an individual to demonstrate that they have followed a structured training programme and have an understanding of the core competencies required to safely prepare nutritious and appropriate food during a voyage. It will also act as a record of their experience and career progression and can be used at any level and in any country, both on board and at maritime catering academies.
The new record book has been written based on the competence requirements of the ILO Guidelines on the training of ships’ cooks, enabling evidence of competency to be recorded in all key areas identified by the ILO. It covers both practical and safety skills such as specific cooking techniques and dealing with allergies and food intolerances.
Natalie Shaw, Director of Employment Affairs for the International Chamber of Shipping says: “Seafarers live and work on board ship and mealtimes serve to influence attitudes regarding long periods at sea. Ships’ cooks are essential to the efficient and safe running of any vessel. It is difficult to overestimate how important food and nutrition are to seafarers. Not only does good food enable the seafarer to perform duties effectively, it is also crucial to maintaining the health and morale of crews.
“Indeed the quality of food on board is so essential to crew welfare that it is documented in the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which recognises how important it is to have and serve sufficient food and drinking water of appropriate quality on board by qualified and trained catering personnel.”
The Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks is the first global resource available to the industry and is an essential companion to the formal training undertaken by ships’ cooks both on board and onshore. Ships’ cooks have very varied backgrounds ranging from the professional chef on a cruise ship through to the reserve ship’s cook covering the mess when the ship’s cook is on shore leave, and this new record book supports those at all levels.
The Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks is available to purchase from ICS Publications.
Torvald Klaveness has announced the decision to consolidate all digital services under Klaveness Digital... Read more
The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) has renewed its call for straightforward... Read more
The Swedish Club has delivered strong results for 2024, posting a USD 34 million profit and significantly... Read more
In line with NORDEN’s positive long-term outlook for Capesize freight rates, the company have... Read more
OrbitMI, a global provider of maritime software and data products, has expanded its workflow capabilities... Read more
Current ClassNK Senior Vice President Hayato Suga has been appointed as President & CEO as well... Read more
The surge in demand for Cape Size bulk carriers will continue for another six weeks, driven on by increased... Read more
OrbitMI, a leading provider of maritime SaaS software, has announced that Istanbul-based Statu Shipping... Read more
“The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) is deeply saddened by the... Read more
As the shipping industry continues its transition to carbon-neutral fuels, ammonia and hydrogen are... Read more