Certificate IV in Kitchen Management

Yes, work placement is required in a commercial kitchen in a restaurant. It takes place in Term 4 and Term 5 of the course. Two units require mandatory work placement: SITHKOP013 (Plan Cooking Operations) requires up to 120 hours including a minimum of 24 complete service periods (shifts), and SITHCCC043 (Work effectively as a cook) requires 240 hours including 48 service periods across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special functions. Students on work placement are expected to do 4 x 5-hour shifts per week for the allocated weeks in the term.

The tuition fee for the Certificate IV in Kitchen Management is AU$24,000. Additional costs include a course application fee of AU$200, a course materials fee of $1,200, an accommodation placement fee of AU$200 (if required), and an airport pick-up fee of AU$200 (if required). International students must also obtain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their study. Living costs are separate; the Department of Home Affairs requires students to show AUD$29,710 for 12 months of living costs.

Students must wear a complete, clean, laundered and ironed uniform at all times during practical classes, including: 1 x white double-breasted chef's jacket (not black, with white buttons), 1 x chef's trousers (not black, checked – modern or traditional), 1 x white apron, 1 x white neckerchief, 1 x white chef's hat (skull cap), and 1 x pair of heavy-duty, non-slip, clean shoes (no sneakers or runners). A starter toolkit is also required, including a chef's knife, steel, paring knife, vegetable peeler, thermometer, palette knife, boning knife, fish filleting knife, utility fork, thermal piping bag, set of nozzles, and a sharpening stone. The uniform and starter toolkit are provided by the College, covered under the $1,200 course materials fee.

The course is delivered across 60 weeks of actual delivery (78 weeks total including breaks) over 6 terms. Delivery is blended, combining classroom, practical and online learning. Students attend a minimum of 20 scheduled contact hours per week: 16 hours of classroom-based face-to-face delivery and 4 hours of compulsory e-learning via the MyPCT Moodle portal. Kitchen Management practical sessions take place in a fully equipped commercial kitchen in groups of no more than 20 students. There is also a structured online learning program of 6 hours per week for revision and practice.

After completing the Certificate IV in Kitchen Management, students may wish to further their studies with the Diploma of Hospitality Management at Pacific College of Technology, or other relevant undergraduate programs in other Colleges and universities throughout Australia. The qualification also provides a pathway to work in organisations such as restaurants, hotels, clubs, pubs, cafes, and coffee shops, or to run a small business in these sectors.