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Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor Competencies Survey

We need your input!

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry ("DLI") Dual-Training Pipeline team is conducting a survey on proposed competency standards for potentially adding a new occupation in the ­­­­­Child Care industry. The information you provide in the survey will be used by DLI to create the Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor dual-training competency standards.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Any information you choose to supply on this survey will be used by DLI staff members working on creating competency standards for Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor; competency models and all survey data entered are public information.

In addition to participating in the survey, you are invited to join a meeting on January 20, 2026 at 9 a.m. to discuss the new possible Child Care competency standards. The link to join the meeting is here.

If you have questions regarding the survey or any other work of Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline, please email pipeline.program@state.mn.us. Thanks!
Draft - Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor
Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline Competency Model for Child Care. Occupation is Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor. Occupation-specific competencies are prepare nutritious and age-appropriate means and snacks, follow food safety guidelines to prevent foodborne illnesses, collaborate with staff and parents to accommodate special dietary requirements, maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen according to health codes, order and maintain inventory of kitchen supplies and food, implement safety protocols for food preparation, storage and handling, update staff on child specific dietary restrictions, oversee daily culinary operations and staff and manage finances for fixed culinary costs. Industry-sector technical competencies are management principles, culinary arts foundation, food safety and sanitation, advanced infection control, kitchen management, purchasing and storeroom management, diverse dietary restrictions, culinary nutrition, food preparation, production and presentation, and child and adult care food program requirements. Industry-wide technical competencies are early childhood learning and development, diversity, equity and inclusion, food safety systems, child care ethics, laws and regulations, documentation, food quality and cost control, food service industry principles and concepts, early childhood supports, and child health and safety. Workplace competencies are health and safety, sustainable practices, customer focus, planning and organizing, teamwork, problem solving and decision making, working with tools and technology, scheduling and coordinating, checking, examining and recording, business fundamentals, and creative thinking. Academic competencies are reading, math, science and technology, communication, critical and analytical thinking, basic computer skills and writing. Personal effectiveness competencies are interpersonal skills, integrity, professionalism, initiative, dependability and reliability, adaptability and flexibility, lifelong learning, compassion and empathy and cultural competency. Employer requirements box in intentionally left blank so employer can add their own specific competencies if needed. Pyramid based on Building Blocks for Competency Models – Foundational Competencies, Employment and Training Administration, United States Department of Labor, February 2025. For more detailed information about competency model creation and sources, visit www.dli.mn.gov/business/workforce/child-care.
Competency Model for Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor Early Childhood Culinary Supervisor – This individual is responsible for planning, organizing, developing, and directing the overall operation of the dietary department in an early childhood care setting, to assure that quality and appealing nutritional services are provided and maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner. An individual in this role also must prepare menus, snacks and offerings for individuals who have certain dietary restrictions. *Pipeline recommends the Industry-Sector Technical Competencies as formal training opportunities (provided through related instruction) and the Occupation-Specific Competencies as on-the-job (OJT) training opportunities. Industry-Sector Technical Competencies Related Instruction for dual training means the organized and systematic form of education resulting in the enhancement of skills and competencies related to the dual trainee’s current or intended occupation. • Management principles – Ability to provide communication, motivation, coaching, mentoring, and conflict resolution to manage and enhance the success of the early childhood culinary team. • Culinary arts foundation – Understand the art of preparing, cooking, presenting and serving food. • Food safety and sanitation – Understand how to properly clean the kitchen and dining room to ensure that food is safe and minimize risk of infection. • Advanced infection control – Awareness of safe food service procedures and regulations during cooking process to prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses and infectious disease. • Kitchen management – Able to prepare menus, order food, hire, train and monitor staff, and perform quality control on food served. • Purchasing and storeroom management – Able to understand the process of obtaining food and non-food items for meal preparation and serving. This includes detailed order specifications and pricing. Organizing, maintaining, and optimizing storage spaces for materials, supplies and equipment to ensure that everything needed for operations is available.
• Diverse dietary restrictions – Able to understand and accommodate therapeutic necessities for individuals who may require a special diet. Additionally, must be able to create and implement well-rounded menus that maintain high nutritional standards and support a variety of dietary needs while delivering quality taste. • Culinary nutrition – Understanding of nutrition principles and food science demonstrated through a mastery of culinary skills. • Food preparation, production and presentation – Understand the essential components of transforming raw ingredients into edible and appealing dishes, which includes planning, sourcing, prepping, cooking and presentation. • Child and adult care food program requirements – Understand nutritional standards, infant and toddler feeding, recipe standardization, meal planning, and documentation to ensure the quality and nutritional value of meals and snacks provided. Occupation-Specific Competencies On-the-Job Training is hands-on instruction completed at work to learn the core competencies necessary to succeed in an occupation. Common types of OJT include job shadowing, mentorship, cohort-based training, assignment-based project evaluation and discussion-based training. • Prepare nutritious and age-appropriate meals and snacks – Understand how a child’s age, dietary needs, and developmental stage factor into planning appropriate meals and snacks. Know how to create meals that support the growth and development of children in a childcare setting. • Follow food safety guidelines to prevent foodborne illnesses – Understand the proper handling, cooking, and preservation of food to protect people from foodborne illnesses and/or injury. Adherence to infection control standards and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to mitigate the spread of respiratory illnesses. • Collaborate with staff and parents to accommodate special dietary requirements – Understand how to communicate with parents and staff to gain insights into a child’s dietary needs and preferences. • Maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen according to health codes – Understand how to follow procedures to prevent harmful germs from spreading among children and staff, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all. • Order and maintain inventory of kitchen supplies and food – Understand quality management methods, tools and techniques in the dispensing and distribution of food and other related supplies.
• Implement safety protocols for food preparation, storage and handling – Understand key practices in personal hygiene, food safety training, temperature control, sanitization, cross-contamination prevention and food storage. • Update staff on child specific dietary restrictions – Knowledge of the most current information and resources addressing requirements for meal modifications for children with specific dietary needs. • Oversee daily culinary operations and staff – Understand how to effectively supervise staff who work in the kitchen through direct oversight, assistance, teambuilding and support. • Manage finances for fixed culinary costs – Knowledge in the importance of forecasting, budgeting and accounting in food service operations where the budget is consistent from week to week based on the number of children enrolled. Updated December 2025
1.What is your general impression of the occupation-specific competencies? (i.e. the things someone would typically learn through on-the-job-training)
2.Are there any occupation-specific competencies you would like to see edited, added or eliminated?  Please write your suggestions if you have any.
3.Please share any suggested edits to the occupation-specific competency definitions.
4.What is your general impression of the industry-sector technical competencies? (i.e. what will typically be learned through formal related instruction to succeed in this specific occupation/ sector)
5.Are there any industry-sector technical competencies you would like to see edited, added or eliminated?  Please write your suggestions if you have any.
6.Please share any suggested edits to the industry-sector technical definitions.
7.What is your general impression of the industry-wide technical competencies (i.e. what will typically be learned through related instruction for a broad range of occupations working in the industry).
8.Are there any industry-wide technical competencies you would like to see edited, added or eliminated?  Please write your suggestions if you have any.
9.Finally, please let us know if you have any other suggested edits or comments on the remainder of the pyramid.
10.Please let us know what sector you work in.(Required.)
11.Contact information