Are there entry requirements?

No. The register records no entry requirements for SIT20421.

Where can I work with it?

The register names restaurants, hotels, catering operations, clubs, pubs, cafes and coffee shops, plus institutions - aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons and schools.

Should I just do Certificate III instead?

If you want the trade and can commit to twenty-five units, yes. Certificate II suits people testing the industry, working while they study, or heading for institutional catering rather than a restaurant kitchen.

Do I need a food safety certificate?

SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety is core, so it is built in. Separate food safety supervisor requirements are set by each state and by your local council.

SIT20421 Certificate II in Cookery

About this qualification

SIT20421 covers people “working in kitchens who use a defined and limited range of food preparation and cookery skills”, on mainly routine and repetitive tasks under direct supervision.

The register states plainly that this qualification does not meet the requirements for trade recognition as a cook, but “can provide a pathway towards achieving that”. Anyone choosing between this and Certificate III should read that sentence twice.

Thirteen units, seven core: food preparation equipment, basic methods of cookery, working effectively in a commercial kitchen, cleaning kitchen premises and equipment, hygienic practices for food safety, receiving and storing stock, and safe work practices.

Where it leads is broader than restaurants. The register names aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons and schools alongside the pubs and cafes — institutional catering employs a great many Certificate II cooks.

Roles it maps to

Settings named on the national register for SIT20421.

Kitchen Hand Kitchen Attendant Breakfast Cook Catering Assistant

Where it sits

Where SIT20421 sits. It is the step before the trade, not part of it.

Certificate II · you are hereSIT20421 Cookery
Certificate III · the tradeSIT30821 Commercial Cookery
Certificate III · relatedSIT30921 Catering
Certificate III · specialisationSIT31021 Patisserie
Certificate IVSIT40521 Kitchen Management

What it covers

7Core units

6Elective units

Thirteen units must be completed: 7 core and 6 electives. Of the electives, 4 must come from Group A, Group B or Group C, and 2 from Group A, Group B, Group C or Group D. All electives chosen must contribute to a valid, industry-supported vocational outcome. Several units carry prerequisites.

The 7 core units, required by everyone:

SITHCCC023 Use food preparation equipment
SITHCCC027 Prepare dishes using basic methods of cookery
SITHCCC034 Work effectively in a commercial kitchen
SITHKOP009 Clean kitchen premises and equipment
SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety
SITXINV006 Receive, store and maintain stock
SITXWHS005 Participate in safe work practices

For a full list of elective units, visit training.gov.au →

Frequently asked questions

Does this make me a cook?: No. The register states this qualification does not meet the requirements for trade recognition as a cook. It is a pathway toward SIT30821, which does.
Are there entry requirements?: No. The register records no entry requirements for SIT20421.
Where can I work with it?: The register names restaurants, hotels, catering operations, clubs, pubs, cafes and coffee shops, plus institutions — aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons and schools.
Should I just do Certificate III instead?: If you want the trade and can commit to twenty-five units, yes. Certificate II suits people testing the industry, working while they study, or heading for institutional catering rather than a restaurant kitchen.
Do I need a food safety certificate?: SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety is core, so it is built in. Separate food safety supervisor requirements are set by each state and by your local council.

Other registered providers

Filtered by where each provider is based, not where they can deliver.

NSW

TAFE NSWRTO 90003

Deliver and assess · NSW, QLD
QLD

TAFE QueenslandRTO 0275

Deliver and assess · National
WA

North Metropolitan TAFERTO 52786

Deliver and assess · WA
WA

Skills Strategies InternationalRTO 2401

Deliver and assess · National
NSW

Joblink PlusRTO 91434

Deliver and assess · National
NSW

Maxwells ServicesRTO 90924

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

Axiom Syndicate Pty LtdRTO 40489

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

Australian Hospitality Skills RecognitionRTO 32217

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

WISE Employment LtdRTO 6653

Deliver and assess · National
SA

Salford CollegeRTO 40298

Deliver and assess · National
TAS

Guilford Young CollegeRTO 1129

Deliver and assess · TAS
QLD

Aurora Training Institute Pty LtdRTO 32237

Deliver and assess · NSW, QLD
Find more providers

12 of 155 providers shown — search the register for the rest
training.gov.au →

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Certificate II in Cookery

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