To work as a food preparation worker, you typically need to:

• complete short-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

No formal training is required for food preparation workers. However, many employers prefer to hire people who have a high school diploma or equivalent.

On-the-job training

Most food preparation workers learn their skills on the job from an experienced worker. Training includes:

• how to prepare food;
• cooking skills; and
• food handling techniques.

After training, another worker closely supervises your work. Training generally lasts from one week to one month.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to be food service specialists. This military occupation includes food preparation workers. Training lasts nine to 14 weeks, depending on your specialty. Further training occurs on the job.