

(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.
The technology group Wärtsilä has successfully retrofitted an inline shaft generator system... Read more
The operational performance of a vessel is set to be boosted with an innovative new digital solution... Read more
Inland shipping construction yard Concordia Damen will deliver two 'CDS Dry Cargo 110' vessels to Amer... Read more
A.M.Best Ratings Services Ltd has affirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long... Read more
ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a large ammonia fuelled 210,000 DWT bulk carrier... Read more
Investors in middle aged dry bulk tonnage may be cheered by the impact of sustained higher recycled... Read more
As one of the most important strategic maritime passages in the world, linking the Indian and Pacific... Read more
OSM Maritime Group and Thome Group have agreed to a merger of the two companies. By joining forces,... Read more
In a pivotal move aimed at further strengthening The Swedish Club’s long-term position in the... Read more
International crewing expert Danica Crewing Specialists now has a presence in Mumbai, boosting its recruitment... Read more