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 3 in Commercial Cookery. It prepares people for work as cook.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced SIT30816, whose currency ended on 8 June 2022.
Several independent signals line up behind this qualification. Specifically: its main occupation is rated in national shortage, 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.
Live courses on Get Course run from 40 to 138 weeks of delivery.
Three official signals crossed: live job advertisements, the national training pipeline, and government employment projections.
Employer demand for these roles is holding steady. Across Cook, about 1,055 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (down 3.4% on a year earlier). Roughly 12,860 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 37,450 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 27,040 in 2023, to 37,450 in 2024 (up 38.5%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to grow. Government projections put them at 39,400 workers in May 2025, 41,800 by May 2030 (up 6%) and 44,400 by May 2035 (up 12.5%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
People who complete this qualification tend to do better than is typical for a Certificate III. In the latest national outcomes survey (2025), 92% were employed or in further study after training, against a Certificate III median of 88% across 105 qualifications. Median income after training was $60,100, compared with $54,000 typical at this level. 91.2% were satisfied with the training, against 90.6% 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.
Live courses for this qualification on Get Course run from 40 to 138 weeks of delivery, depending on provider and study mode.
The crossing no single dataset can give you: official shortage status, subsidy availability and training demand, read together.
Several independent signals line up behind this qualification. Specifically: its main occupation is rated in national shortage, 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.
At least one occupation this qualification leads to is officially rated as in national shortage. In the 2025 Occupation Shortage List assessment, Cook is rated in national shortage.
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.