Who is a cook?
A cook is an artisan or a worker skilled in food and beverage production or closely related field. Food and beverage can be described as any nutritious substance that people eat or drink in order to maintain life and growth. Food and beverage production is the process of preparing food and beverages in which raw materials are converted into ready to eat foodstuffs either at home or at a food establishment.

Cooks plan, prepare and cook foodstuffs in hotels, restaurants and other public eating places, or board ships, on passenger trains and in private households among others.

Other related title(s)

1. Chef
2. Waiter
3. Waitress
4. Bartender

What is the work environment?
Cooks work in restaurants, hotels and other food service establishments.

Some important skills to have
To work effectively, cooks need to have some important skills and qualities such as;

1. Creativity in order to prepare interesting and innovative recipes
2. Ability to taste and smell in order to prepare food that customers will enjoy
3. Safety awareness to reduce injuries associated with sharp kitchen objects
4. Time management skills to ensure food is cooked and served on time
5. Physical stamina as they may spend more hours on their feet
6. Leadership skills for head cooks to motivate and lead junior cooks
7. Communication skills to communicate effectively with customers & colleagues
8. Listening skills to be able to understand customers concerns
9. Customer service skills to deal appropriately with different customers
10. Interpersonal skills to relate well with workmates and customers
11. Among others

What are some career opportunities?
Cooks can find work in various places such as; restaurants, hotels, institutions canteens &cafeterias, airlines, shipping lines, passenger trains, schools, other catering establishments and government departments among other areas.

Cooks can also use their creativity and start their own profit making ventures (self-employment).

Becoming a cook: Artisan level

Admission requirements
To pursue a career as a cook right from secondary school, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), mean grade D- (minus) and below is required.

Training & Study options
With a KCSE mean grade D- (minus) and below, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for an appropriate artisan course. Artisan courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

So what course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Artisan in food and beverage production and service
2. Artisan in food and beverage production, sales and service
3. Trade test in food processing
4. Or other similar/ related courses

Education Progression
After a successful completion of an artisan course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field) up to university level if that’s your goal. How is this possible?

1. Get an artisan certificate
2. Advance to craft certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
4. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College.
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice. The majority way is applying through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps). This is a state owned agency that admits/ places government sponsored students to TVET colleges and universities. One of the advantages of applying through Kuccps is that, upon successful placement, you will pay subsidized fee as a government sponsored student.

To be placed through Kuccps you must have attained a certain pass mark required for various education levels such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and artisan courses. For an artisan course, you need a KCSE mean grade E. For more details on placement criteria, visit Kuccps website. The second approach is applying directly to training institution of your choice. Students who opt to apply this way do not get government fee subsidy and are therefore self-sponsored.

How to fund your post-secondary education.
If you are a needy student, upon application, you can get education loan from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a state owned institution that gives education loans to students joining technical colleges and universities. You can also access education bursaries from your   of Parliament (MP) or the County Government among other sources.

Always remember this!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.

We know career life will take a significant part of your life journey, and your career choice will greatly influence how that journey unfolds. Therefore, before you make any career choice, before you commit yourself to any career or study option, be sure of what you are doing. It is advisable to seek professional advice from career advisors to navigate this very important process.

Need more information? We can provide you with additional career and education related information to meet your individual needs.