Highlights

Watch this short highlights video of the Best Practice Exchange and Virtual International Pressure Test.

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Best Practice Exchange

We hosted a best practice exchange with international experts and educators to transfer global best practice and champion higher quality training standards within the UK.

Watch the Best Practice Exchange in full.

Sean Owens

WorldSkills UK VIP Chief Expert Cooking

Dolan Heaney (Industry Judge)

WorldSkills UK VIP Skills Competition Manager

Iwona Niemczewska

WorldSkills Poland – VIP Deputy Chief Expert

Evigenii Irishkin

WorldSkills Russia – Expert

Frederic Deroppe

WorldSkills Belgium – Expert

Antti Porna

WorldSkills Finland – Expert

Ralf Herrgott

WorldSklls Namibia – Expert

Key learnings

There are some gaps in skills set when they leave the TVET system. This includes confidence and is required by employers. The standard required and expected on the international platform is incredibly high and the TVET system isn’t always able to deliver to this standard for a number of reasons including funding/budget constraints and resources. It is difficult to teach what a real life experience is in a college classroom. These skills can only be developed in a workplace. The role of the college is to give students the core skills and correct attitude

In this BPE, experts identified that these international pressure tests have provided a platform to allow all nations to be involved in a training event/competition, even with budget constraints or lack of travel opportunities. The international standards support and encourage changes in industry by providing a consistent standard and requirement for all nations around the world. It is vital to learn about all cuisines and techniques from around the world rather than just your own nation – this will broaden students skills set and technical abilities

In this BPE, experts identified that these international pressure tests have provided a platform to allow all nations to be involved in a training event/competition, even with budget constraints or lack of travel opportunities. The international standards support and encourage changes in industry by providing a consistent standard and requirement for all nations around the world. It is vital to learn about all cuisines and techniques from around the world rather than just your own nation – this will broaden students skills set and technical abilities

Virtual International Pressure Test

Welcome to the Cooking Virtual International Pressure Tests in partnership with UK Experts to support our skills development activities of competitors as we prepare for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022.  This approach is our direct response to the ongoing pandemic and our need to innovate in remote training and assessment.

The Virtual International Pressure Tests provides a great opportunity for colleagues across WorldSkills national organisations to join us in the pursuit in developing skills excellence in young people and mobilising your Experts and Competitors to collaboratively train and compete with us and others across the range of skills we will showcase virtually to March 2022.

Countries that took part

UK

Russian federation

Poland

Namibia

Finland

Belgium

The Cooking Virtual International Pressure test involved 4 modules;

Module 1 – Finger Food / Canapes

Module 2 – Plated Dessert Poire Belle Helene

Module 3 – Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta

Module 4 – Poultry Main Course

Each module tested the squad member on their technical ability and enabled them to test their skill set. The pressured environment added an element of pressure and gave them a taste of an international competition.

Details of the Virtual International Pressure Test

The first day of the competition started with competitors arriving to set up their workstations and test the live streaming devices. The judges then met in the private breakout rooms, host by WorldSkills UK Sean Owens. The first module then commenced with a four-hour time for completion. The day closed with a live Hedonic taste test

Module 2 was underway on the second day with another four-hour task. On completion, the competitors had to take images of the dishes and submitted via email to the lead judge. Hedonic taste testing was once again used, and the taste test submission sheets were submitted by all judges

the final day covered both module three and four with 4.5 hours of competition. Once complete, judges then joined the private Zoom room to collaborate and review the submissions from each competitor.

Results

Illustration of Gold Medal

German Afanasev - Gold Overall Winner

Russia

Illustration of Gold Medal

Bartek Wicerek

Poland

Illustration of Gold Medal

Hiep Nguyen

Finland

Illustration of a silver medal

Guillaume Hermans

Belgium

Illustration of a silver medal

Jacek Darnowski

Poland

Illustration of a bronze medal

Ashleigh Hellowell

United Kingdom

Illustration of a bronze medal

Chloe Lloyd Hughes

United Kingdom

Illustration of a bronze medal

Elisabeth Isia

Namibia

This event highlighted that even with restrictions and with travel not possible, we have been able to adapt an international pressure test to a remote event with hedonic taste testing and an expert panel of judges. It has given our squad members something to work towards and allowed the experts to benchmark their skill set.

Sean Owen, Lead Judge and WorldSkills UK Cooking Training Manager, SkillChef

As an industry professional and judge I was delighted to join in the Best Practice Exchange for Culinary Arts after the very successful WorldSkills UK Virtual International Pressure Test. I was impressed by the interaction of the international chefs, and it was good to see that some difficult sector issues where being discussed. This in-depth collaboration makes a forum such as this, all the more important.

Dolan Heaney, WorldSkills UK Cooking Judge

WorldSkills Occupational Standards

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