Does this make me a trade cook?

No. The register states it does not meet the requirements for trade recognition as a cook, but can provide a pathway toward achieving that. SIT30821 is the trade qualification.

Are there entry requirements?

No. The register records no entry requirements for SIT30921.

Why so few providers?

Twenty-three nationally. Catering employers often train through commercial cookery instead, so the dedicated catering qualification stays a specialist offering.

Food cooked in bulk, rapidly chilled and regenerated later - the standard method in hospitals, aged care and large-scale banqueting. The register names it as a setting for this qualification.

Ten electives is a lot. How do I choose?

Let the setting decide. Hospital and aged care work pulls toward special dietary requirements; function and banquet work pulls toward volume production and service. Ask each provider which units they actually deliver.

SIT30921 Certificate III in Catering

About this qualification

SIT30921 covers “individuals working in catering operations who use a range of cookery skills and sound knowledge of kitchen operations to prepare food items”, with some independence under limited supervision.

Like Certificate II, it does not meet the requirements for trade recognition as a cook — but it can be a pathway toward it. The distinction from commercial cookery is scale and setting, not seniority.

The register names the settings precisely: hospitals and aged care facilities, sporting and entertainment venues, hotel banqueting departments, cook-chill production kitchens, and mobile catering businesses.

Twenty units with an even split — ten core, ten elective. That is the widest elective allowance in the cookery family, because catering spans everything from a hospital tray line to a wedding marquee.

Roles it maps to

Settings named on the national register for SIT30921.

Catering Cook Banquet Cook Institutional Cook Cook-Chill Operator

Where it sits

Where SIT30921 sits. Catering is a setting, not a rung — it runs beside commercial cookery.

Certificate IISIT20421 Cookery
Certificate III · you are hereSIT30921 Catering
Certificate III · the tradeSIT30821 Commercial Cookery
Certificate IV · managementSIT40521 Kitchen Management

What it covers

10Core units

10Elective units

Twenty units must be completed: 10 core and 10 electives. Of the electives, 6 must come from Group A or Group B, and 4 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 10 core units, required by everyone:

SITHCCC023 Use food preparation equipment
SITHCCC024 Prepare and present simple dishes
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
SITXFSA006 Participate in safe food handling practices
SITXHRM007 Coach others in job skills
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 trade cook?: No. The register states it does not meet the requirements for trade recognition as a cook, but can provide a pathway toward achieving that. SIT30821 is the trade qualification.
Are there entry requirements?: No. The register records no entry requirements for SIT30921.
Why so few providers?: Twenty-three nationally. Catering employers often train through commercial cookery instead, so the dedicated catering qualification stays a specialist offering.
What is cook-chill?: Food cooked in bulk, rapidly chilled and regenerated later — the standard method in hospitals, aged care and large-scale banqueting. The register names it as a setting for this qualification.
Ten electives is a lot. How do I choose?: Let the setting decide. Hospital and aged care work pulls toward special dietary requirements; function and banquet work pulls toward volume production and service. Ask each provider which units they actually deliver.

Other registered providers

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

NSW

TAFE NSWRTO 90003

Deliver and assess · NSW
TAS

TasTAFERTO 60142

Deliver and assess · TAS
QLD

Axial TrainingRTO 2437

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

William Angliss Institute of TAFERTO 3045

Deliver and assess · NSW, QLD, VIC
QLD

Australian Trade Training CollegeRTO 31399

Deliver and assess · National
WA

Correspondence Training AustraliaRTO 52612

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

Australia Moreton Education Group Pty LtdRTO 31246

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

EC TRAINING PTY LTDRTO 31384

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

National Food Institute Pty LtdRTO 3821

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

Velisha Education Group Pty Ltd trustee for Velisha Education Group Unit TrustRTO 45732

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

OLIMOR Training Pty LtdRTO 90791

Deliver and assess · National
SA

The Quality Training and Hospitality CollegeRTO 1036

Deliver and assess · National
Find more providers

12 of 22 providers shown — search the register for the rest
training.gov.au →

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Certificate III in Catering

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