Commercial Cookery
Commercial Cookery
Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
Being a chef can be a very rewarding career and offers skills that can be applied all over the world in many different scenarios.
Australia has a very vibrant food culture that is made up of different multicultural influences. It is a great country to become a chef because of the high industry standards and the quality products that Australian chefs use.
Students will learn how to motivate and lead kitchen teams, identify and assess operational and service issues, plan food production, schedule workflow, and understand legal compliance issues, and plan, prepare and cost your their own menu.
After completing your studies, your possible job titles include but are not limited to: Chef de Cuisine (Head Chef or First Chef), Sous Chef (also known as Second Chef, as they are second in charge), Chef de Partie (also known as a Demi Chef, they are in charge of a certain section of the kitchen).
Course includes
- Produce meat, poultry and seafood dishes.
- Produce stocks, soups and sauces.
- Maintain the quality of perishable items.
- Learn safe food handling practices.
- Prepare food to meet special dietary requirements.
- Manage finances within a budget.
- Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices.
- Plan menus for many occasions and situations.
- Must have graduated year 12 in your home country.
- Must have a minimum English score of IELTS 5.5
- Must be willing to undertake a 360 hour vocational placement
- In Australia, fully qualified chefs earn an average of $1250 per week.
- In Australia, a chef works an average of 46 hours per week.
- Employment for this occupation rose strongly over the past five years and will continue to rise strongly in the long-term.
- 72% of chefs are employed on full-time basis, which is above average compared to other roles in the hospitality industry.
- Chefs in Australia can work in numerous different roles and areas.
Price (per year)
Duration
Location
Intake
Related Courses
Temporary Graduate Visa
If undertaking study in Australia for a minimum of 2 years you may qualify for the Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa. This visa allows the holder 1.5 years of unlimited work rights in Australia. Many graduates use this time to build up experience in their field or find an employer that is willing to sponsor their visa.
If you have applied for the Temporary Graduate Visa you may also be eligible to apply for the Job Ready Program. The Job Ready Program is run through TRA and allows graduates in certain disciplines to have their skills assessed for skilled migration purposes. It is a way for people with no experience to have their skills assessed. Once the student receives a positive skills assessment they may be eligible to apply for permanent work visas such as State Sponsored and General Skilled Migration Visas.
Note: It is never recommended to engage in studies for the sole purpose of trying to gain a visa to Australia. Speak to us and we can find a course that matches your long-term career goals.
Graduate Visa
The Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) allows recent university graduates and certain vocational graduates the chance to remain in Australia and work after their studies have finished.
Chef (351311) is currently on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List. The skills assessment for chefs is delivered through TRA.
To obtain a positive skills assessment, the current qualification requirement is a Cert IV in Commercial Cookery. You may even be able to do this without being sponsored by an employer and you may not need to live in a regional area.
Below are some simple steps that may allow you to go down this pathway.
Note: It is never recommended to engage in studies for the sole purpose of trying to gain a visa to Australia. Speak to us and we can find a course that matches your long-term career goals.
Step 1: Study a course or package of courses
Study a course or package of courses that goes for at least 2 years and includes the Cert III in Commercial Cookery.
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (General) (18 months)
- Diploma of Hospitality (6 months)
Step 2: Receive the Temporary Graduate Visa
By studying for 2 years and undertaking 360 hours of vocational placement during your studies (most education providers will arrange this for you), you may be eligible to apply for and receive the temporary graduate visa.
The graduate visa is a work visa that allows the visa holder to live and work in Australia for up to 18 months. For more information on the graduate visa click here.
Step 3: Participate in the Job Ready Program
The benefit of the JRP is that on completion you will be provided with a positive skills assessment for general migration purposes. On this program you must work for at least 12 months as a qualified chef.
Your employer will not need to sponsor your visa, as you will already be on the graduate visa. This will increase your chances of finding employment, as it is very easy for the employer to hire you. You may find this video on the Job Ready Program helpful.
Step 4: Apply for a General Skilled Migration Visas
Once you have completed the Job Ready Program as a chef you will receive a positive skills assessment. Once you have the positive skills assessment you may be able to apply for a general skilled migration visa.
If eligible, the general skilled migration visa does not require you to have an employer that is willing to sponsor you. Please note that you will still be required to pass the points test and health checks applicable to apply for this visa.
Why Use Pathway to Aus?
Pathway to Aus has assisted thousands of student’s study or migrate to Australia. We are here to support you throughout your journey and make the transition as easy and smooth as possible. Our experienced team of Education and Migration agents are ready to work with you to help you achieve your education and migration goals.
No cost to you
Registered Migration Agents
Ongoing support
Partnered with education institutes
Interviews with Our Students
Feel free to check these interviews with some of our students.
Chris
South Africa
Cert III in Bricklaying
After Chris traveled to Australia on a vacation, he fell in love with the country and decided to pursue his dream to become a bricklayer in Australia.
William
Sweden
Civil Engineering
William is studying Associate Degree of Civil Engineering at TAFE QLD in Brisbane. He's building up his work experience and will apply for a permanent visa to Australia.
Denise
Germany
Civil Engineering
Denise came to Australia several times when she was younger and fell in love with the country. She decided to apply for a student visa and started her course at the Southbank campus of TAFE Queensland.
Raphael
France
Certificate III in Joinery
In late 2017 he decided to study joinery in Australia. He has now finished his course and has just had his temporary graduate work visa approved (subclass 485).
Louis
India
Automotive
After finishing high school, Louis decided to Automotive Mechanical at a college on The Gold Coast. After completing this course he obtained the Temporary Graduate Work Visa.Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started?
If you complete this questionnaire we’ll be able to send you some detailed information on the course and explain what documents you’ll need for enrolment
What qualifications do I need to be a chef?
Chefs need to complete the Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery to become qualified in Australia
How long does it take to become a qualified chef?
It takes 24 months to become a qualified chef in Australia
Will these qualifications be recognised in my home country?
These qualifications are part of the Australian Qualification Framework. Most countries specifically European or North American countries accept qualifications issued by Australia. So yes, generally speaking, the qualifications will be accepted and allow you to work in your home country. Please note, we would always you check specifically with your home country.
Is a chef in demand in Australia?
Employment for chefs has risen strongly over the past five years and will continue to rise strongly in the long-term. 78% of chefs are employed on full-time basis, which is above average compared to other roles in the hospitality industry. The occupation of Chef is also on Australia’s Medium to Long Term Skills Shortage List (MLTSSL).
How much does a chef get paid?
As per job outlook, chefs earn an average weekly pay of $1,250 per week
Can foreigners do a chef apprenticeship in Australia?
International students can’t do a chef’s apprenticeship in Australia. Instead, they can study a 24-month vocational course to become a qualified chef. Click here to read more about apprenticeships and vocational courses for international students
How much is a commercial cookery course?
Commercial cookery courses range from $7,500 – $14,000 per year
Where can I study to be a chef in Australia?
International students can study to become a chef in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast
What do you do as a chef?
As a chef you would:
- Determines how much food to order and maintain an appropriate supply at the restaurant
- Keep up with trends in cooking and the restaurant business to ensure that guests have a positive experience
- Experiment to come up with new specialties that will draw diners into the restaurant
- Liaise with suppliers, oversee deliveries, manage the kitchen budget and design menus
- Employ food safety best practices and makes sure that all kitchen staff members do the same
- Manage quality control and taste the dishes; making sure they are at the right standard and are presented correctly before they go out to the customer
- Coach the sous chef and other members of the kitchen staff, so they perform at their best
GET IN TOUCH
In case of questions, feel free to reach out to one of our experienced Registered Migration Agents.
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