Cooks (Level 1)

Duties

• oversee menu planning, regulate stock control and supervise kitchen staff
   
• supervise general, third and second cooks and may also supervise first cooks
   
• provide ongoing training and support to all cooks in their area
   
• estimate food requirements and obtain the required food from storage or suppliers
   
• clean, cut, carve, prepare, season, cook, and arrange portions of foods
   
• monitor present and upcoming business volumes as well as food items
   
• uphold and maintain food safety, hygienic and safe work environment standards

Employer requirements

• An employer must provide an organizational chart (showing the reporting structure flow) listing each position in the kitchen, the salary range for each position, and the number of persons employed in each position.
   
• An employer must provide evidence of their official seating capacity.
   
• An employer must sign an Employer Compliance Declaration Form and attach it to their application indicating if they are under investigation, or have been cited within the 12 months preceding the date on which the application is received, for a breach of any of the following legislation:
   
  • Employment Standards
  • Workers' Compensation
  • Human Rights
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Public Health Act
     
• If an employer has been under investigation or cited within the twelve months preceding the date on which the application is received for a breach of any of the above legislation, the application may be refused.
   
• To maintain program integrity, and to ensure the job description is consistent with the occupation requested, the PNP may conduct a site visit of the establishment.

Optional Certification Trade Requirements

The Alberta PNP will consider an application made for a Cook where both the duties and the qualifications of the candidate equally reflect journeyperson certification standards.

The occupation of Cook is an Optional Certification Trade as identified by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT). Therefore, an application must demonstrate that the Cook is working at a level equivalent to that of a certified journeyperson. This standard is used by the PNP in the evaluation of all Optional Certification Trades.

A Cook at the journeyperson level has demonstrated the competency to be in a managerial or supervisory position and is properly compensated.

The Alberta PNP does not facilitate the entry of individuals who are to receive training in an occupation.

Formal Training/Educational Requirements

In addition to performing the duties expected of a journeyperson-level Cook, a candidate for nomination must possess the following qualifications, which are based on eligibility for the AIT Qualification Certificate Program:

• Journeyperson certification or equivalent
   
• Two (2) years of formal certified culinary training at a recognized post-secondary or culinary institute plus three (3) years of work experience as a Cook
   
  • A program completed outside of Canada must be equivalent, in terms of content and scope, to that of a two-year post-secondary culinary arts diploma program in Canada
     
• In the absence of a formal training program, a minimum of 54 months of full-time work experience as a Cook would be considered

Classifications

The following classifications of Cook will be considered:

• Chef de Partie
• First Cook

Employment Status

A candidate for nomination, as a Cook, must:

• Hold a valid work permit, as a Temporary Foreign Worker, issued for at least one (1) year by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
   
• Have been lawfully working for their employer in Alberta for at least nine (9) months preceding the date on which the application is received

Allocations

The number of Cooks who can be nominated for permanent residence by the province is restricted. An employer will be eligible to request a nomination for one (1) journeyperson-level Cook for every 35 seats in their restaurant up to a one-time maximum of two (2) journeyperson-level Cooks.

If the employer is approved for two (2) Cooks, the employer will not be eligible for any further approvals of this occupation under the program. The intent of the PNP is to help employers retain foreign workers and fill a critical skill shortage permanently. The employer is responsible for providing appropriate incentives or benefits to encourage valued employees to remain with the establishment. Employers of choice have effective retention plans to attract workers in a competitive labour market.

The following table should assist in clarifying the number of allocations available to one restaurant location for an application that meets the above criteria for Cooks:

Number of Seats in Restaurant	Maximum Number of Allocations (Cook)
0-69	1
70 or more	2

Preference

Preference is given to candidates who have:

• A valid Alberta AIT Qualification Certificate as a Cook
• Completed one year of their experience within Canada or Alberta

Date Updated: Jul 10, 2008
RDP-734