SIX school meal general assistants have completed a training course.

The trainee assistant cooks trained for five months in a number of kitchens in Sunderland and Washington.

They work for the City of Sunderland school meals provider, Onecall, and the course included operating cashless card systems, cooking and preparation, customer care, health and safety, budget awareness and quality control.

There was a strong emphasis on the people management skills required of a modern-day cook.

The trainees learnt how to manage different personalities, deal with conflict and build teams.

Trainee Julie MacKinlay said: "I gained experience in a wide range of school meals operations and I now feel more confident in communicating and working alongside other people."

The training culminated in a session for each of the cooks, the ladies acting as a cook-in-charge in a school kitchen, putting their new knowledge into practice.

They also gained the nationally-recognised City and Guild NVQ Level Two qualification in Quick Service.

Keith Miles, from Onecall, co-ordinated the programme.

He said: "Our standards are a far cry from those seen on the recent Jamie Oliver television series and that is due to the quality of our staff and the food they prepare."