SIT40821 is the nationally recognised Certificate IV behind chef work. It has been the current version on the national register since 2022, when it replaced SIT40816. About 2,544 chef jobs were advertised in June 2026, down 6.7% on a year earlier.
Often searched as Cert 4 in Asian Cookery · Register data synced 18 Sept 2026 from training.gov.au
Online job ads · June 2026
2,544last month
Chef roles advertised across Australia
Down on a year earlier
Long-term outlook
Mixed
Two structural signals up; current job ads down
Register status
Current
Replaced SIT40816 in 2022
Enrolments
Falling fast
Down 50% in a year
Funding status
Verification pending
Checked against official state program lists
The short answer
The signals behind the Certificate IV in Asian Cookery are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Chefs are in shortage in parts of the country and employment is projected to grow through 2035. Job ads in June 2026 were down 6.7% on a year earlier and enrolments are falling. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.
Jobs and Skills Australia
Is the work there?
Employers are posting fewer chef jobs than a year ago. About 2,544 chef jobs were advertised online in June 2026, down 6.7% on a year earlier. Over the last 12 months there were about 34,700 job ads, while 25 people were training in the qualification nationally (2025). Ads show the market. Enrolments show the pipeline. Neither is a job promise.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index · latest month June 2026 · ANZSCO 3513
Combined monthly online job ads across Chef, to June 2026
Official shortage list
Australia's official shortage list rates chefs as in shortage in parts of the country. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Chef as in shortage in regional areas.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation Shortage List · 2025 assessment
Ten year outlook
Chef jobs are projected to grow. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 124,895 workers in May 2025, 132,094 by May 2030 (up 5.8%) and 140,467 by May 2035 (up 12.5%).
124,895
workers, May 2025
132,094
workers, May 2030
140,467
workers, May 2035
Jobs and Skills Australia employment projections · May 2025 to May 2035
Occupation mapping by Get Course, shown with ANZSCO codes so it can be checked.
NCVER Total VET Activity
Who is training
Enrolments in the Certificate IV in Asian Cookery are dropping fast. Across Australia, 50 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 25, down 50% in a year. National data for SIT40821 starts in 2023.
2019
not yet introduced
2020
not yet introduced
2021
not yet introduced
2022
not yet introduced
15
2023
50
2024
25
2025
NCVER Total VET Activity · 2025 collection
training.gov.au · Australian Qualifications Framework
What does studying it involve?
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
How long it takes
A Certificate IV is typically 0.5 to 2 years of full-time study under the Australian Qualifications Framework. Providers set the exact length and pace.
Delivery
Providers set the delivery mode.
Credit for experience
Recognition of prior learning applies to SIT40821 like any qualification on the national register: an approved provider assesses your evidence against each unit.
training.gov.au national register; Australian Qualifications Framework.
State subsidised training lists
What does it cost, and who funds it?
State funding for SIT40821 is being verified against official program lists.
Eligibility and student contributions vary by program and provider. The official state listing is the source of truth. In a subsidised place the government pays most of the tuition and you pay a co-contribution set by the program and provider.
Official state subsidised training program lists, verified per state. Full-fee prices will appear here as partner courses are listed.
training.gov.au · unit packaging
What is in the qualification
The Certificate IV in Asian Cookery is 30 units: 23 core, plus 7 electives chosen from 39 options on the register. Prerequisites apply to 39 of them, marked below.
BSBTWK501Lead diversity and inclusion
SITHASC020Prepare dishes using basic methods of Asian cookery (has prerequisites)
SITHASC021Prepare Asian appetisers and snacks (has prerequisites)
SITHASC022Prepare Asian stocks and soups (has prerequisites)
SITHASC023Prepare Asian sauces, dips and accompaniments (has prerequisites)
SITHASC024Prepare Asian salads (has prerequisites)
View all 23 core units
SITHASC025Prepare Asian rice and noodles (has prerequisites)
SITHASC027Prepare Asian cooked dishes (has prerequisites)
No Get Course partner currently lists this qualification. Check the national register for organisations approved to deliver it, and remember that approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. You can browse live courses from our partners and enquire today.
Get Course maps SIT40821 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 3513) so the mapping can be checked. Job advertisement counts come from the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index and count online ads, not vacancies filled. Enrolment counts come from NCVER Total VET Activity and count people in training, not completions. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index latest month June 2026; Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; register training.gov.au, synced 5 September 2026; register synced 18 Sept 2026. Page last updated 19 Sept 2026.
About this page. Every number on this page shows its source and date. Register data synced 18 Sept 2026 from training.gov.au. Compiled by Get Course from public data sources. It is not provided or endorsed by any training organisation, and nothing here is advice about your individual situation. Statistics describe groups; your result depends on you. If you represent a training organisation and want to correct or add to this page, contact hello@getcourse.com.au.