Feeling guilty when training is mentioned? Everyone believes in it, and no-one does enough. But when you structure it into short and frequent chunks, it's surprising how much can be achieved in a few months.

You can't close up shop while a training session is on, and it's rare to have all the staff present at one time. In fact there may never be a time for a training session when 'everyone is together at the same time'. This is where twenty minute sessions work so well - don't wait for everyone, but run short sessions with whoever's available. No-one misses out, they just do it next time.

#1: Kitchen Staff

Product knowledge, speed and techniques will be prime issues. Use picture books of ingredients (often found on the sale table at bookshops). If you don't have celeriac, ochra or honeycomb on hand and you want to show them, books are useful. Another useful book will be one that shows the meat cuts of different animals come from eg the scotch fillet, sirloin and rump on a cow.

Show people how to use Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. See it's entries for ochra and honey. Online ability to search and find information is one of the new skills that staff will need to acquire sooner or later.

Marketing organisations like Meat & Livestock are helpful, or find charts and diagrams by searching for resources online like this. Now is the time for someone to call one of these well-funded organisations to obtain training resources. Other technical skills will involve using the electronic controls of cooking equipment.

In twenty minutes you can only look at one particular physical skill, but it's a start. Try filleting and boning meat or fish. Dicing, julienne and chiffonnade of vegetables. Use the timer to see how long it takes to fillet or prepare a certain amount of product, with cheering and prizes when the goal is reached.

Calculations and number skills may be weak, so short sessions with calculators will be useful - how much yield do you get from trimming a fish or strip of meat, how to cost a recipe, working out menu profits or multiplying quantities.

Buy some cheap calculators (with large buttons) from a bargain shop and get people practicing. Download the Calculator Instructions to get started, and move onto simple Recipe Cards and Yield Testing. Show them how to use the online Yield Calculator. If you have a laptop, it adds to the range of what can be done - simple spreadsheets are great for demonstrating the effect of cost and recipe changes on profit margins.

Check the 'Modern Skills for Chefs' article in the Young Chefs department on this site.

Go to Sections #2: Wait Staff and #3: Bar Staff in the Members Section.

You can join online or by using this form. Members have access to a wide range of downloadable training tools and material.