WorldSkills Standards Specification

Cooking
Social and Personal Services

© WorldSkills International WSC2019_WSSS34

 THE WORLDSKILLS STANDARDS
SPECIFICATION (WSSS)

GENERAL NOTES ON THE WSSS

The WSSS specifies the knowledge, understanding, and specific skills that underpin international best
practice in technical and vocational performance. It should reflect a shared global understanding of
what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business
(www.worldskills.org/WSSS).
The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSSS, and to
the extent that it is able to. The Standards Specification is therefore a guide to the required training
and preparation for the skill competition.
In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the
assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where
there is an overwhelming reason for these.
The Standards Specification is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers
added.
Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the
Standards Specification. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage
marks is 100.
The Marking Scheme and Test Project will assess only those skills that are set out in the Standards
Specification. They will reflect the Standards Specification as comprehensively as possible within the
constraints of the skill competition.
The Marking Scheme and Test Project will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards
Specification to the extent practically possible. A variation of five percent is allowed, provided that this
does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards Specification.

WORLDSKILLS STANDARDS SPECIFICATION

SECTION RELATIVE
IMPORTANCE
(%)
1 Work organization and management 5
The individual needs to know and understand:
• All internal business regulations
• The organization and structure of the hospitality and restaurant
service industry
• The importance of effective teamwork
• The use and care of speciality tools used in gastronomy
• The role of the professional chef in producing menus and dishes in a
business environment
• The importance of continuous professional development to maintain
knowledge of current trends and fashions within culinary arts
• How to plan a well-balanced menu for a range of occasions and
situations and within given restrictions and budgets

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Maintain quality standards throughout production, even when under
pressure
• Prepare work plans for single dishes and plan schedules for the
preparation of a menu. Plan daily work for self and others
• Co-ordinate all preparatory tasks (mise-en place) prior to service
• Prioritize work to differentiate important issues from lesser important
ones
• Optimize work flow
• Function effectively in every area of the kitchen
• Account for time and staff resource
• Detect conflicts, address them and find solutions with the team
• Apply energy saving practices when using cooking equipment
• Knows and operate all commercial kitchen equipment and
technology properly and safely
• Apply legal requirements for the description and sale of menu items
• Be responsive and flexible to unforeseen situations
• Adapt working methods to the situation and be an effective member
to the team
• Make suggestions for improvement of operational procedures
• Create and adapt recipes with own ideas and develop them further
• Demonstrate a feel and understanding of ingredients and be able to
create dishes without recipes
• Treat all goods with respect and economic resourcefulness
• Judge personal performance ability and avoid unnecessary stress
• Set goals independently and achieve them
• Take personal responsibility for own continuous professional
development

2 Customer service and communications 5

The individual needs to know and understand:
• The characteristics of different types and styles of food service and
when each would be appropriately used
• The impact on food production of the various types of food service
• The importance of the menu as a sales and communication tool
• Legal restrictions on promotional materials and menu presentation
• The importance of appearance when on public view and dealing with
customers
• The importance of effective communication within the team, with
customers and contractors

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Pay attention to own cleanliness and appearance at all times
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, teams and customers
• Make use of a menu as a sales and communication tool
• Apply appropriate food service styles to the situation and clientele
• Demonstrate awareness that the hospitality and catering industry is a
customer service orientated industry
• Provide advice and guidance on culinary matters to management,
colleagues, and customers
• Propose solutions and discuss with goal orientated attitude, arriving
at agreed solutions
• Plan and implement meal promotions
• Plan and implement timings for service delivery

3 Food hygiene and health, safety, and environment 15

The individual needs to know and understand:
• Legislation and good practice relating to the purchase, storage,
preparation, cooking, and service of food
• Legislation and good practice for safe working practices in a kitchen
and for using commercial catering equipment
• The causes of deterioration of food
• Quality indicators for fresh and preserved foods

The individual shall be able to:

• Work hygienically and account for sanitary regulations for food
storage, preparation, cooking and service (HACCP)
• Store all commodities safely and hygienically
• Ensure all work areas are cleaned based on highest standards
• The business internal HACCP concept is applied to the last detail
• Work safely and uphold accident prevention regulations
• Use all tools and equipment safely and within manufacturer’s
instructions
• Promote health, safety, and environment and food hygiene within the
working environment

4 Ingredients and menu development 5

The individual needs to know and understand:
• Market prices for ingredients and the correlation between price and
quality
• The nature and types of ingredients used in cookery
• Product seasonal availability and value
• The correlation between product quality, menu sophistication, and
gastronomic level
• The nutritional properties of ingredients
• The physical nutritional impact of cooking methods
• Import regulations and restrictions that apply to some ingredients
• Types and styles of menu
• Balance in menu compilation
• Issues surrounding sustainability and ethics when sourcing ingredients
• The impact of culture, religion, allergies, intolerances, and tradition
on diet and cooking

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Advise on procurement of ingredients and equipment
• Select appropriate product quality standards for menu, budget, and
situation
• Recognize and comply with ingredient labelling
• Apply nutritional principles in order to comply with guests’
expectations and requirements
• Identify the quality state of ingredients and recognize the signs of
quality and freshness, e.g. appearance, aroma, structure, etc.
• Appraise and reject sub-standard goods
• Select appropriate products for speciality meals
• Compose menus for a variety of situations and occasions
• Be accurate in menu preparation and account for obligatory
declarations such as dietary and allergy information
• Compile menus for a variety of occasions and settings

5 Preparation of ingredients 20
The individual needs to know and understand:
• The structure of a carcass and a poultry or game bird and the uses for
all cuts of meat, poultry, or game
• Methods of butchering and preparing meat for cooking
• The range of meats, game, and poultry and their best uses
• Cuts of meat, poultry, and game commonly used in cookery
• The range of fish and shellfish available and their suitable uses
• Cuts of fish used in cookery
• Methods of preparing fish and shellfish for cooking
• The range of fruits, salad ingredients, and vegetables used in cookery
and their methods of preparation for cookery or use
• Accepted vegetable cuts and their uses
• The methods of making stocks, soups, and sauces and their uses
• The methods of making pastry, bakery products, and desserts
• The methods of making pasts and other farinaceous products
• The equipment and tools used in butchery, fishmongery, and the
preparation of ingredients
• The safe use and care of tools, especially knives

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Calculate, measure and weigh correct amounts of products
• Apply excellent knife skills and common cutting techniques
• Debone meat, poultry, and game cuts and prepare for further
processing
• Trim and tie meats, poultry, and game
• Prepare, portion, and fillet kitchen meat cuts
• Prepare whole fish for further processing, scale, remove entrails, fillet
• Prepare accepted portions of fish for further processing and cooking
• Prepare stocks, soups, sauces, marinades, accompaniments, and
dressings
• Conclude and assemble the mise en place for the menu in its entirety
• Independently take care of mise en place for functions and
banqueting
• Utilize unused mise en place for other applications
• Make preparations for the production of pastry, bakery products, and
desserts
• Produce a variety of pasta and other farinaceous items

6 Application of cookery methods 15

The individual needs to know and understand:
• The range of cookery methods available and their appropriate uses
for various ingredients and menus
• The effects of cooking on ingredients
• Types of sauces used in professional cookery and the rules for making
sauces
• Types of soups used in professional cookery and the rules for making
soups
• Classic garnishes and extensions to basic dishes

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Select the appropriate cooking equipment for the cooking method
• Apply the correct cooking method for each ingredient and each dish
• Apply a full range of cookery methods
• Account for the cooking times
• Combine and apply various cooking methods simultaneously
• Account for shrinkage during cooking
• Produce harmony of products, preparation methods and plating
techniques
• Align preparation methods with a gastronomic level
• Follow recipes, adapting them as necessary, and calculate ingredients
based on covers required
• Combine ingredients to achieve the required result
• Produce a wide range of dishes including:
• Soups and sauces;
• Starters (either hot and/or cold);
• Salads and hors d’oeuvres;
• Fish and shellfish dishes;
• Meat, poultry and game dishes;
• Vegetable and vegetarian dishes;
• Speciality and international dishes;
• Rice and pasta dishes;
• Egg dishes
• Pastry, bakery products, sweets, and desserts
• Prepare and cook complex dishes combining ingredients to produce
interesting and innovative dishes
• Prepare regional, national, and international dishes using recipes
• Prepare and cook dishes for a range of meals including breakfast,
lunch, afternoon tea, high tea, and dinner
• Apply modern technology and methodology in food production

7 Presentation of dishes 25
The individual needs to know and understand:
• The importance of the presentation of food as part of the meal
experience
• The range of servicing dishes, plates and other presentation
equipment available
• Trends in food presentation
• Styles of food service and their impact on the presentation of dishes
• Accepted garnishes and accompaniments for traditional dishes
• The importance of portion control in a commercial restaurant of
catering operation

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Portion the components of a meal to provide the required yield
• Clarify or thicken and enhance soups and sauces
• Produce and present cold cut plate and assorted salads
• Present food items for hot and cold buffets and self-service settings
• Prepare accepted garnishes and use them for the effective
presentation of dishes
• Adjust preparation and plating styles to service methods
• Taste dishes and apply seasonings, herbs, and spices professionally
• Present food attractively to enhance the meal experience and
customer appreciation of the food
• Present food using service equipment such as flats, tureens, dishes,
etc.
• Present plated dishes on appropriate service plates or dishes to
provide an attractive and pleasing appearance
• Produce a variety of pasta

8 Food purchase, storage, costing, and control 10

The individual needs to know and understand:
• Seasonal availability and price variations of ingredients
• The market process of common merchandise
• The range and advantages of local, national, and international
suppliers
• Common payment and shipment conditions
• The process for ordering commodities and equipment
• The factors that influence the menu price
• The methods for calculating selling price based on ingredients’ cost
• The importance of economy and efficiency when preparing food
• The importance of sustainability, environmental impact, and the
carbon footprint caused by their choices.
• Product solutions such as recipe programmes, menu, merchandise
systems, banquet systems, etc.
• The food storage solutions available

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 The individual shall be able to:
• Select suppliers based on quality, service, range, and price
• Prepare daily requisitions
• Accurately select/order required food and consumable items to meet
the needs of the business
• Secure best prices, service, and quality from suppliers
• Complete purchase orders and submit on-line purchase orders
• Receive goods on delivery and check all documentation to ensure that
the delivery is correct and that the goods are of acceptable quality
• Store all fresh, frozen, chilled, and ambient food items correctly,
ensuring that appropriate storage temperatures and conditions are
maintained
• Account for storage losses
• Estimate cost of storage
• Align purchase orders with storage capacity
• Complete ordering, control, and stock records manually or by the use
of IT
• Calculate material costs and selling prices to reach required kitchen
profit monitor and adapt food production and portion control to
maintain required profit margins
• Control wastage by correctly estimating preparation quantities
required and by not over-ordering

Total 100

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 REFERENCES FOR INDUSTRY CONSULTATION
WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Standards Specifications fully reflect the
dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills
approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft
Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Standards Specification on a two-yearly cycle.
In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:
• ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
• ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
• O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)

This WSSS (Section 2) appears most closely to relate to Cooks, Restaurant:

https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/35-2014.00
and Chefs: http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/1009be17-7efd-45f1-a033-566bf179c588

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