A nationally recognised qualification on the National Register of vocational education and training. This page answers the questions that actually decide whether it is worth your time and money: is the work there, what happens to people who finish, who pays, and who you could study it with. Every figure carries its source and date.
Often searched as Cert 2 in Cookery. It prepares people for work as kitchenhand.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced SIT20416, whose currency ended on 8 June 2022.
The independent signals behind this qualification are positive. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035 and national enrolments are rising. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
Three official signals crossed: live job advertisements, the national training pipeline, and government employment projections.
Employers are advertising fewer of these roles than a year ago. Across Kitchenhand, about 775 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (down 5.5% on a year earlier). Roughly 10,308 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 17,690 people enrolled in the qualification nationally in 2024. Enrolment counts people in training, not completions, so the two figures describe the pipeline and the market, not a job guarantee.
More people are choosing this qualification each year. National enrolments rose from 9,840 in 2023, to 17,690 in 2024 (up 79.8%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to grow. Government projections put them at 151,600 workers in May 2025, 156,600 by May 2030 (up 3.3%) and 165,000 by May 2035 (up 8.8%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
Outcomes for this qualification run below what is typical for a Certificate II. In the latest national outcomes survey (2025), 75% were employed or in further study after training, against a Certificate II median of 77.6% across 63 qualifications. Median income after training was $32,500, compared with $41,400 typical at this level. 91.4% were satisfied with the training, against 91.4% typical.
The three wallets: a subsidised seat, paying full fee, and the time commitment that decides whether you can keep working.
Subsidy programs change and have eligibility rules. The official listing linked above is the source of truth; no dollar amounts are shown here because they vary by person and provider.
Fees for unsubsidised places are set by each training provider and vary widely. Provider pricing, intakes and payment options live on the individual course pages linked below, never on this page.
The crossing no single dataset can give you: official shortage status, subsidy availability and training demand, read together.
The independent signals behind this qualification are positive. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035 and national enrolments are rising. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
Approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. Start with who is approved, then compare actual courses.
The five questions people actually ring up and ask, answered only where official data backs the answer.