Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

Employment options leaving a bad taste in your mouth? Add some flavour to your career with a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
Become a qualified trade cook with skills in all areas of cookery including knife skills, food preparation, desserts, sustainable work practices, kitchen teamwork and cost-effective menu planning with this non-apprenticeship course, delivered full-time over the course of one year.

Engage first hand with industry while getting your qualification to work in the hospitality industry as a trade cook.
According to the Australian Government's Job Outlook service, the number of people working as cooks grew very strongly over the past five years and is expected to see strong growth in the future. This large occupation is likely to see around 35,000 job openings over the next five years. So, what are you waiting for? The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery provides you with the essential skills and knowledge required to join the kitchen as an apprentice chef in this high-demand industry.
And once you’ve completed this course, you’ll have the skills to work as a qualified cook in restaurants, cafes, bistros, clubs, cruise ships, resorts and so much more! The possibilities are endless!

Did you know: The Victorian Government has now made Free TAFE courses even more accessible for new students enrolling for study in 2024. All Free TAFE courses at TAFE Gippsland are now available to people with higher-level qualifications and those who have completed a previous Free TAFE course and are looking to continue in their selected training pathway. Conditions and eligibility rules apply. Check out our Free TAFE information page for further details.

You might even find yourself working in one of these areas:
Working as a cook at a wedding reception centre
Working as a breakfast cook in a trendy café
Working as a cook for a busy conference centre
Working as a cook at your local pub or hotel
Working as a cook at large events like AFL football games, Phillip Island grand prix, music festivals and community events.
Working as a cook for your local not for profit community organisations, such as Lions Club or Rotary
Working as a cook at your local restaurant
Working as a cook at your local sporting club kitchen
Working as a cook in a variety of fast food outlets in food court locations

You can even choose to take your career further by studying *Certificate IV in Kitchen Management, *Certificate IV in Catering Management, *Certificate IV in Patisserie, *Diploma of Hospitality Management or *Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management. (*Not currently offered at TAFE Gippsland)
All these courses will further enhance your employment opportunities by increasing your skills and knowledge, and we’ll be here to walk you through all your options if and when the time comes, because we know these decisions aren’t always easy!

This course will give you the skills to:
- Plan, organise, prepare and cook food in a commercial kitchen environment.
- Produce quality foods, plan menus, prepare meals for specific dietary and cultural requirements, and work as part of a busy kitchen team.
- Manage and control the cost of food and operate a successful restaurant.

Are there specified requirements for entry into the course/qualification?: Yes

Mandatory entry requirements:

There are no entry requirements listed in the current training package to enrol as a non apprentice. If you are thinking of enrolling in Certificate III Commercial Cookery as an Apprentice, then you must be employed in industry and have a Commonwealth Government Training Contract in place.
or
If you are enrolling as a School Based apprenticeships/Trainees or Head Start apprenticeships/Trainee, you must be at least 15 years of age, enrolled in either VCE or VCE VM and be an Australian Citizen or Permanent resident as per the state regulatory requirements.

Not applicable.

Will this course/qualification or a constituent unit provide a pathway to an industry licence or regulated outcome: true

With the food safety laws, the below units will meet food safety regulations within your local shire.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards require that people who handle food, and the people who supervise them, have the skills and knowledge in food safety and food hygiene for the work they do.
During this course you will be trained and assessed in the following accredited units;
- SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety
- SITXFSA006 Participate in safe food handling practices
The successful completion of these 2 units, will provide you with the skills and knowledge required to safely handle food. You will receive a certificate issued by TAFE Gippsland, and on completion of the course, a statement of attainment listing the accredited 2 units. This documentation may be required to be included in a businesses food safety plan.