SIT30821 · Delivered by our partner RTO
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821)
Years on the line, plating up service after service, without the ticket on paper? SIT30821 is the foundation cooking certificate — the chef’s trade cert. RPL turns your real kitchen experience into the formal credential through our partner RTO.
RPL in 5 Simple Steps
Free Eligibility Check
Discuss your skills, work history and experience with our team to determine whether RPL may be suitable for you. Eligible applicants are referred to a partnered RTO for enrolment.Enrolment & RPL Kit
The partnered RTO enrols you into the qualification or units and provides the RPL assessment kit, evidence guide and submission requirements.Evidence Collection & Submission
Gather and submit evidence of your skills and experience — resumes, employment documents, licences, references, work samples and previous training records. We can assist you with organising your evidence.Assessment & Review
The RTO assessor reviews your evidence and may conduct a competency conversation, workplace verification, practical assessment or request additional information if required.Outcome
The RTO determines the assessment outcome. Where competency requirements are met, the RTO issues the qualification or Statement of Attainment.84%
Graduate Satisfaction
Source: NCVER Student Outcomes (industry avg)
75%
Reported Work Status Improvement
Employment outcomes vary and are not guaranteed
$72k
Typical Median Earnings
Source: Seek / Indeed AU 2026
Qualification Description
SIT30821 — Official description from training.gov.au
This qualification reflects the role of cooks who use a wide range of well-developed cookery skills and sound knowledge of kitchen operations to prepare food and menu items. Using discretion and judgement, they work with some independence and under limited supervision using plans, policies and procedures to guide work activities.Completion of this qualification contributes to recognition as a trade cook.This qualification provides a pathway to work as a cook in organisations such as restaurants, hotels, clubs, pubs, cafes, and coffee shops.The skills in this qualification must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
What Certificate III in Commercial Cookery Covers
The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery is the trade certificate for working chefs. Core areas covered:
- Preparing and cooking dishes across the standard menu (stocks, sauces, mains, desserts)
- Food safety, hygiene and HACCP-aligned kitchen practice
- Mise en place, kitchen organisation and service execution
- Menu specials, special diets and dietary requirements
- Stock control, ordering and minimising kitchen waste
- Working safely in commercial kitchens and using equipment
Real Earning Outcomes
On the Line for Years? Get the Trade Ticket That Unlocks Real Chef Pay.
Unqualified line cooks cap around $50k–$60k. SIT30821 puts you in the qualified chef band — $65k–$80k — and the sponsored visa, sous chef and head chef tracks open up.
Working chefs without the ticket get squeezed. The certificate is what venues, sponsors and licensing want to see.
Working Chef
$65k–$80k / yr
Line cook with a ticket. Pubs, bistros, hotels. Standard band once your SIT30821 is current.
Pub / Bistro Chef
$70k–$88k / yr
Run a section or shift. Volume venues. Penalty rates, longer contracts, more security.
Catering Chef
$70k–$92k / yr
Events, corporate catering, hospitals. Stable hours, better lifestyle, similar pay.
Breakfast Chef / Section Chef
$68k–$85k / yr
Lead a section or service. Step-up role with 1-2 years post-cert.
You’re already running pass. Get the ticket and get paid for it.
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Salary ranges sourced from Seek, Indeed and Payscale Australia (2026). Actual pay varies by location, employer type, and experience. Figures are typical full-time ranges and exclude superannuation unless noted.
Who This Certificate Is For
You’ve worked in a commercial kitchen for 2+ years — pubs, hotels, restaurants, catering, gastropubs, fine dining. You can produce dishes from a menu on your own. You know food safety and run mise en place without prompting.
Common backgrounds: line cooks, breakfast chefs, prep cooks, working chefs without formal trade papers, catering cooks, hotel kitchen staff.
What You’ll Need To Bring
Real, current evidence of the work you do on the job. Your partner RTO assesses you against the specific units of competency in the qualification, so the evidence should show those skills being applied in practice. The more relevant the evidence, the smoother the assessment.
- Photos, videos and records of work you are currently doing on the tools or on the job — clearly showing each unit’s skills in practice
- Workplace documents you produce: care plans, shift notes, site reports, job sheets, invoices, plans you’ve worked from
- Two professional references from supervisors or senior colleagues who can verify your skills
- Previous training records, short course certificates, workplace documents or role-specific licences relevant to the qualification
- Resume or work history showing length of time working in the field
- Any third-party reports the partner RTO requests to verify specific units
Your partner RTO will tell you exactly which units need extra evidence. We help you map what you already have against the units of competency required.
Common Questions