Fonda Mexican

CHT records a workplace training partnership with Fonda Mexican, a Mexican restaurant group that began in Richmond, Victoria in 2011 with a menu of street food dishes designed to share. On our own account the program was highly contextualised for Fonda's restaurants, with learning resources and assessment tools written for the business, while meeting the packaging rules of SIT30616 Certificate III in Hospitality.

That description is our record of what was delivered and to whom. The source case-study page says in its page description that training improved customer satisfaction and reduced people-turnover costs. It does not publish figures, a measurement period or a method for attributing those outcomes, so we do not present a quantified result here. For evidence behind those claims, ask us or Fonda Mexican directly.

What follows is the part that is verifiable and transferable to any restaurant group: which qualification actually fits restaurant floor work, what the service units demand, and the two compliance traps a Victorian restaurant most often walks into.

The provider is RTO 3722, whose scope of registration holds 17 current qualifications, 81 current skill sets and 579 current units of competency, every one at the extent "deliver and assess". Its CRICOS registration, provider code 04242E, covers three qualifications only, and neither Certificate III in Hospitality is among them — so a restaurant group employing student visa holders cannot enrol them in these codes as CRICOS courses.

First, the code: `SIT30616` has been superseded

SIT30616 Certificate III in Hospitality was the current code when a program of this kind was built. It has since been superseded by SIT30622 Certificate III in Hospitality, and the National Register records the two as not equivalent. The register's own reason reads: "Changes to packaging rules, changes to core units. Elective list updated."

That matters in two directions:

For someone holding the old testamur: a completed qualification stays completed. Because the pair is not equivalent, reaching the current code means credit transfer for the units that carried over unchanged, plus recognition of prior learning for the rest. That is an assessment, not an automatic upgrade, and transition and teach-out obligations apply.
For a restaurant commissioning the same program today: the packaging rules and the core units both changed with the code, so the unit set is not a straight copy of the old one.

This is a normal fact of vocational education rather than a problem with the program. Training package codes turn over; the transcript record does not disappear. The provider's own obligations around that turnover are specific: once a training product is superseded, new enrolments stop within a year of the replacement being listed, and existing students must be transitioned in a timely manner, with students told as soon as practicable about the change.

The two Certificate III routes for restaurant floor work

We hold both hospitality Certificate III codes on scope, and they are genuinely different qualifications rather than variants. For a restaurant this is the real decision.

	`SIT30622` Certificate III in Hospitality	`SIT30722` Certificate III in Hospitality (Restaurant Front of House)
Total units	15	20
Core	6	9
Elective	9 — one from Group A (Hygiene), six from Group B, two more widely	11 — nine from the list, two more widely
Group A hygiene choice	Yes — `SITHIND005` or `SITXFSA005`	No Group A. Hygiene is core via `SITXFSA005`
RSA	Elective	Core
Food safety	Elective or Group A choice	Core
Cash handling	Elective	Core
Entry requirements	None	None
AQF volume of learning	Certificate III: typically 1 to 2 years	Certificate III: typically 1 to 2 years

`SIT30622` core — six units

Code	Title
`SITHIND006`	Source and use information on the hospitality industry
`SITHIND008`	Work effectively in hospitality service
`SITXCCS014`	Provide service to customers
`SITXCOM007`	Show social and cultural sensitivity
`SITXHRM007`	Coach others in job skills
`SITXWHS005`	Participate in safe work practices

`SIT30722` core — nine units

Code	Title
`SITHFAB021`	Provide responsible service of alcohol	core here, elective in `SIT30622`
`SITHIND006`	Source and use information on the hospitality industry
`SITHIND008`	Work effectively in hospitality service
`SITXCCS014`	Provide service to customers
`SITXCOM007`	Show social and cultural sensitivity
`SITXFIN007`	Process financial transactions	core here
`SITXFSA005`	Use hygienic practices for food safety	core here
`SITXHRM007`	Coach others in job skills
`SITXWHS005`	Participate in safe work practices

For a licensed restaurant, the three things every floor staff member needs — responsible service of alcohol, food safety and cash handling — are embedded in SIT30722 rather than bolted on. That is the substantive argument for the front-of-house code. The trade-off is size: twenty units against fifteen.

SIT30622 is not the wrong answer. It is five units shorter, its Group A hygiene choice still lets SITXFSA005 in, and RSA and cash handling are available as electives from its Group B list. It suits broader hospitality work and a restaurant that wants a shorter program and will select those electives deliberately. What it does not do is guarantee those three units are present, which is why the choice should be made explicitly rather than by default.

Electives in either code must be guided by the job outcome sought, local industry requirements and the complexity appropriate to the AQF level, and must contribute to a valid, industry-supported vocational outcome. That is a training package rule, not a provider preference. The AQF band matters for the same reason: the volume of learning must be sufficient for a graduate to achieve the learning outcomes, and the regulator names accelerating or shortening training without allowing time for skill development as a risk.

What the service units actually demand

Two units cover restaurant service, and the gap between them is much larger than the titles suggest.

Unit	Requirement
`SITHFAB027` Serve food and beverage	5 service periods, including at least one peak
`SITHFAB034` Provide table service	12 service periods, with full menu advice in every one

SITHFAB034 is the formal table service unit. It assumes a candidate can carry a plate and tests whether they can advise — explain the menu, make recommendations, describe specials, answer questions on food and beverage — while working at pace across multiple tables. Its knowledge evidence requires comprehensive product knowledge of the items actually served.

For a restaurant with a distinctive or unfamiliar menu, that is the unit that matches the job, because product knowledge is the whole point. See restaurant waiting and delivering exceptional customer service.

Other units a restaurant group may select carry similarly specific evidence:

Unit	Requirement
`SITHFAB030` Prepare and serve cocktails	Two cocktails by each of six preparation methods across three service periods — twelve preparations minimum
`SITHFAB025` Prepare and serve espresso coffee	Ten specified beverages on three occasions each, within commercial timeframes, correcting extraction problems
`SITXFSA005` Use hygienic practices for food safety	Hand-washing, uniform and PPE use, personal health and hygiene, and hygienic food service, each on at least three occasions

Why workplace delivery suits these units particularly well

Units assessed over service periods are often easier to evidence in a working venue than in a classroom. The twelve service periods SITHFAB034 requires happen anyway; what changes is that they are observed and assessed. The same is true of SITXFSA005, which needs its four practices demonstrated three times each in the course of normal work.

That is the practical argument for on-site delivery in restaurants: the evidence is generated by trading rather than simulated. It does not reduce the requirement, and the trainer credential and industry currency obligations apply on site exactly as they do in a classroom. See trainers and assessors.

One timing obligation also does not change with the venue: once a learner is assessed as meeting the training product requirements, certification must issue within 30 calendar days of the assessment being completed, provided the product is complete and all agreed fees are paid.

Trap one: the Victorian RSA is a two-stage process

Any Victorian venue training staff in RSA should know that completing the accredited unit is only stage one.

Complete SITHFAB021 Provide responsible service of alcohol with a Liquor Control Victoria approved provider. Victoria, unlike Queensland or Western Australia, operates an approved-provider requirement.
Liquor Control Victoria issues a certificate number.
The staff member then completes the LCV Learning Hub pre-training survey, the Sexual Harassment and Assault: Recognise, Prevent and Respond module and a post-training survey.
Only then does the RSA Certificate of Completion exist and become downloadable.

Staff who stop after the course hold a Statement of Attainment but not a Victorian RSA certificate. Liquor Control Victoria puts it in exactly those terms: a course that is not approved yields only an RSA Statement of Attainment, and that "does not allow you to supply alcohol in Victorian licensed venues or locations". For a restaurant group it means a roster can look compliant on paper while not being compliant in fact.

Approval is by delivery mode, and our position

LCV publishes two separate lists of approved RSA course providers and a provider sits on one or the other. An in-person provider may deliver in person or online using a live meeting platform; an online provider may deliver self-paced online. We appear on LCV's in-person list, as a one-day RSA course provider, and are not on LCV's online list. So we may deliver a Victorian RSA course in person or by live meeting platform, and cannot be described as an LCV-approved self-paced online provider. LCV also publishes a wordmark for approved providers and tells readers to look for it.

Currency binds everyone, not only licensees

Liquor Control Victoria is explicit: "You must do the free RSA Refresher course every 3 years to keep your RSA certificate current." That attaches to every holder of a Victorian RSA certificate, not only to licensees — which is the point most often stated too narrowly. The separate three-yearly obligation on licensees under the liquor Act also exists, and the two should not be conflated.

The refresher is free, online, takes about 90 minutes, and needs the original RSA certificate number from the top or bottom of the certificate. And it now includes the sexual harassment and assault module — LCV states that RSA training "including the RSA Refresher course" carries it, so it is not confined to initial certification. If a staff member has lost their certificate number, LCV will provide it on request to contact@liquor.vic.gov.au with full name, date of birth, when the original course was completed and the name of the training organisation.

What the Victorian course actually contains

LCV states that the approved Victorian course includes the national unit SITHFAB021 plus Victoria-specific topics: Victorian liquor laws, drink spiking, ID checks and preventing secondary supply, the use of prone restraint (holding a person face down on the ground), harm minimisation strategies, and compliance and enforcement. Two of those — drink spiking and prone restraint — are the ones a venue's own induction rarely covers, and they are the reason a Victorian RSA is not simply the national unit with a state sticker.

Separately, a Victorian employer must be given a copy of the RSA Certificate of Completion and must keep it on site for liquor inspectors or Victoria Police, and can be fined if it does not. LCV is explicit that the employer does not need the Statement of Attainment the course provider issues — the certificate is the document to collect. Advanced RSA training is a separate requirement attaching to some licence types only.

RSA does not transfer freely interstate — and Victoria is one of the strict ones

Jurisdiction	An interstate RSA certificate
Queensland	Accepted where the evidence is a Statement of Attainment for the nationally accredited Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol course. An attendance certificate is insufficient.
Western Australia	Provide the RSA certificate showing completion of the nationally accredited course. An interstate RSA card alone is not accepted as evidence.
New South Wales	Eligible temporary interstate workers can use approved interstate RSA. Permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements; eligible holders can use bridging instead of the full NSW RSA course.
South Australia	Check provider approval and training date. Training from 1 November 2020 must be through a Commissioner-approved RTO. Earlier RSA training need not be repeated solely because of that approval change.
Victoria	Use a current Victorian RSA certificate. Eligible interstate holders can apply for free bridging: approved original training within three years, with the online-course residence condition. Specific exemptions apply at qualifying producer events.
Northern Territory	Certificates from an RTO registered to deliver RSA are accepted, including interstate certificates. Check certificate age and the NT refresher requirements.
Australian Capital Territory	Valid interstate RSA certificates are recognised, subject to the ACT’s three-year currency limit and ACT-approved refresher requirements.
Tasmania	Interstate certificates can be accepted under the Commissioner’s conditions. Requirements differ for employees and liquor licence holders; check the appropriate role.

Current regulator guidance: NSW, VIC, SA, QLD, WA, NT, ACT, TAS.

An RSA Statement of Attainment is a national training record, but permission to serve alcohol depends on the destination’s rules. NSW permits eligible temporary interstate workers; permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements, using bridging where eligible. Victoria offers bridging to eligible interstate holders. SA applies approved-provider rules to training from 1 November 2020, with earlier training not required to be repeated solely for that change. QLD and WA require suitable national RSA evidence. Tasmania distinguishes staff from licence holders; the ACT and NT have local currency and refresher requirements. Check the regulator before your first shift. See RSA recognition by jurisdiction, NSW’s rules and SA’s rules. See RSA in Victoria. See managing intoxicated patrons.

Trap two: a restaurant is a category one food business

Under Standard 3.2.2A, which commenced 8 December 2023, the categories are activity-based, not audience-based.

A category one business is a caterer or food service operation that processes unpackaged potentially hazardous food into food that is both potentially hazardous and ready to eat. The legal test is whether the business performs that prescribed processing activity; having a kitchen or cooking is only a practical clue. Restaurants, cafes, pubs, bakeries, hospitals, aged care and childcare all sit here. Category two is the retail sale of ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food the business did not make — slicing, weighing, repacking, reheating and hot-holding do not count as making it. Delis and butchers sit there.

A restaurant is category one, not "category one or two". That matters, because the three food safety management tools do not all apply to both:

Tool	Category one	Category two
Food handler training	Yes	Yes
Food Safety Supervisor	Yes	Yes
Substantiation records	Yes	No

So the records duty is the category one duty, and a restaurant carries it. Those records cover receipt and storage at correct temperatures, process steps achieving pathogen reduction, minimising time at growth-permitting temperatures, cooling and reheating within specified timeframes, display and transport under temperature control, and cleaning and sanitising of food-contact surfaces and equipment. They must be kept for three months after being made and be accessible at the premises. A business may demonstrate compliance by other means, and an authorised officer may then require records.

Food handler training and Food Safety Supervisor are different obligations

	Food handler training	Food Safety Supervisor
Who	Each food handler needs training or commensurate skills and knowledge before a prescribed activity	At least one appointed supervisor
Must it be accredited?	No. A free non-accredited course covering safe food handling, food contamination, cleaning and sanitising, and personal hygiene satisfies it — or skills and knowledge commensurate with the activity	Yes, and the certificate must have been issued within the immediately preceding 5 years
Units	`SITXFSA005` if you want the accredited route	`SITXFSA005` plus `SITXFSA006`
Refresher	None mandated	The FSS certificate relied on by the business must have been issued within the preceding 5 years; renewal pathways vary by jurisdiction and provider
Records	Not required	The appointment must be in place before the prescribed activity, and the supervisor must remain reasonably available — on site or easily contactable

The second is not satisfied by the first. The accredited unit buys portability and proof for food handlers, not permission, and the alternative to completed training is skills and knowledge commensurate with the activity — not "supervised by someone who has completed training". See Food Safety Supervisor.

In Victoria the class assigned by the local council determines what applies. A restaurant serving unpackaged potentially hazardous food is Class 2 under the Food Act 1984, which requires a Food Safety Supervisor. Councils classify on the highest-risk activity at the premises. Victoria issues no state FSS certificate, accepts interstate certificates, and permits recognition of prior learning for the five-yearly refresh.

A group expanding to New South Wales should know that we are not on the NSW Food Authority's approved provider list, so we cannot issue the NSW Food Safety Supervisor certificate. NSW is the state that issues a separate state certificate on top of the national Statement of Attainment, requires the RTO to hold state approval under section 106H of the Food Act 2003, mandates state-specific content, and does not accept interstate certificates. Keeping only the Statement of Attainment does not satisfy the NSW requirement.

The award a standalone restaurant is actually under

This is worth stating plainly because it is commonly got wrong. The premises decides the award, not the job title.

Venue	Award
Standalone restaurant, cafe, night club, reception centre, roadhouse	MA000119 Restaurant Industry Award 2020
Hotel, pub, tavern, motel, resort, casino, contract caterer, accommodation	MA000009 Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020
Not-for-profit registered club — RSL, bowls, golf, sporting	MA000058 Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2020
Takeaway, food court outlet, food sold mainly to be eaten away from the counter	MA000003 Fast Food Industry Award 2010

A standalone restaurant group sits under MA000119, not MA000009. MA000119 expressly does not cover a restaurant operated in or in connection with premises owned or operated by an employer covered by MA000009, MA000058 or MA000003 — so a restaurant inside a hotel is MA000009 while the same brand's standalone site is MA000119. Two traps in the set: registered clubs are excluded from MA000009 by clause 4.4(d)(i) and sit under MA000058 if not-for-profit, and night clubs sit under MA000119, not the clubs award, because a night club is commercial.

Under MA000119 at clause 18.1, a relevant AQF Certificate III or higher, used at work, sets a minimum classification of Level 4, on the same wording as MA000009 clause 18.1 — the employee must actually make use of the skills and knowledge derived from the Certificate III competencies, so it is not automatic on completion. The same floor applies under MA000058 at clause 18.3; the fast food award has no equivalent provision. No pay rates are published here. Award rates re-set every 1 July and a stale figure is worse than none, so check the current rate in the award itself or through the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.

Where recognition and credit fit for an established team

Experienced floor staff without formal qualifications are the classic recognition of prior learning cohort, and RPL is a different mechanism from credit transfer.

	RPL (Standard 1.6)	Credit transfer (Standard 1.7)
Recognises	Skills and knowledge gained without formal training, including paid and unpaid work	A unit already completed and certified
Evidence	Detailed resume, employer letters, assessor interview, demonstration of the competency	AQF certification documentation or an authenticated VET transcript
Reassessment	Yes — a genuine assessment against the same requirements	No
Granularity	Unit by unit	Whole units only — partial credit goes to recognition instead
Cost and funding	Not available through government funding; available for fee-for-service units	No fee to the student, and we receive no funding for it

Both are identified at the pre-training review required under Standard 2.2 of the Outcome Standards for RTOs, which every learner completes individually as part of enrolment. That standard requires students to be advised, prior to enrolment, whether the training product suits them, following a review of their skills and competencies including language, literacy and numeracy proficiency and digital literacy. For a venue enrolling a group of staff, the obligation is owed to each individual rather than once to the group. Credit transfer also cannot be granted for a unit that is not on our scope. See skills assessment.

For nationally recognised training, a Unique Student Identifier (USI) is generally required before a qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued, unless an applicable exemption applies. See the official USI exemption guidance. A USI is free at usi.gov.au. If you already have one, recover it rather than creating another. Your USI must not be printed on your qualification or Statement of Attainment. We verify that it belongs to you before using it. Completed units can support credit transfer into further training where they meet the receiving qualification’s requirements; ask us to review the evidence.

About us

We are Complete Hospitality Training, RTO 3722, CRICOS provider code 04242E. Level 3, 28 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, and 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. melbourne@cht.edu.au | +61 3 9654 1554.

See workplace training partnerships, SIT30722 Restaurant Front of House, our story, policies, all courses or contact.

We link to the relevant course and regulatory sources in this guide. Check those sources for current requirements, and confirm course availability, delivery, fees and entry requirements with us before enrolling.

Source records and further guidance

We link the unit records and regulator guidance relevant to this page below. Check the current source before making an enrolment, licensing or employment decision.

What did you deliver to Fonda Mexican?

On our own record, a contextualised program with resources and assessment tools written for the business, meeting the packaging rules of SIT30616 Certificate III in Hospitality.

Is SIT30616 still current?

No. It has been superseded by SIT30622 Certificate III in Hospitality, and the National Register records the two as not equivalent, citing changes to the packaging rules, the core units and the elective list. A completed SIT30616 remains a completed qualification.

What were the results of this partnership?

This page publishes no outcome figures, revenue effects, retention data or staff quotes. Ask us or Fonda Mexican directly.

Which qualification suits restaurant floor staff best?

SIT30722 Certificate III in Hospitality (Restaurant Front of House) embeds responsible service of alcohol, food safety and cash handling as core units. SIT30622 is five units shorter and can reach the same place through its electives, but does not guarantee those three units are included.

How many units are in each Certificate III?

SIT30622 is 15 units, six core. SIT30722 is 20 units, nine core. Neither has entry requirements, and both sit in the AQF Certificate III band of typically one to two years.

What is the difference between the two service units?

SITHFAB027 needs five service periods including at least one peak. SITHFAB034 needs twelve, with full menu advice in every one, and tests product knowledge and advising customers rather than mechanics.

Does completing the RSA course give staff a Victorian certificate?

Not on its own. Victoria requires an LCV-approved provider and then a second stage through the Liquor Control Victoria Learning Hub, including the sexual harassment and assault module and pre- and post-training surveys, before the RSA Certificate of Completion exists. Until then the person holds only a Statement of Attainment, which LCV says does not allow them to supply alcohol in a Victorian licensed venue.

Does a Victorian RSA certificate need renewing?

Yes. The free RSA Refresher course must be completed every three years to keep the certificate current, and that applies to every certificate holder, not only licensees. It is online, takes about 90 minutes, needs the original certificate number, and now includes the sexual harassment and assault module.

Are you approved to deliver Victorian RSA online?

We are on Liquor Control Victoria's in-person approved-provider list, as a one-day RSA course provider, which permits delivery in person or by live meeting platform. It is not on LCV's list of approved self-paced online providers. LCV approves by delivery mode, so the two lists are not interchangeable.

What does the Victorian RSA course cover that the national unit does not?

LCV states the approved Victorian course adds Victorian liquor laws, drink spiking, ID checks and preventing secondary supply, the use of prone restraint, harm minimisation strategies, and compliance and enforcement.

What does the venue have to keep on file?

The employee's RSA Certificate of Completion, kept on site for liquor inspectors or Victoria Police. LCV says an employer can be fined for not keeping it, and that it does not need the Statement of Attainment the training provider issues.

Will a Victorian RSA work interstate, and will an interstate one work in Victoria?

An RSA Statement of Attainment is a national training record, but permission to serve alcohol depends on the destination’s rules. NSW permits eligible temporary interstate workers; permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements, using bridging where eligible. Victoria offers bridging to eligible interstate holders. SA applies approved-provider rules to training from 1 November 2020, with earlier training not required to be repeated solely for that change. QLD and WA require suitable national RSA evidence. Tasmania distinguishes staff from licence holders; the ACT and NT have local currency and refresher requirements. Check the regulator before your first shift. See RSA recognition by jurisdiction (/rsa/), NSW’s rules (https://www.nsw.gov.au/business-and-economy/liquor-and-gaming/training/rsa-bridging) and SA’s rules (https://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/sections/LGL/RSA-approved-providers).

Is a restaurant a category one or a category two food business?

Category one. The categories are activity-based, and a business that processes unpackaged potentially hazardous food into food that is potentially hazardous and ready to eat is category one. Category two is retail sale of ready-to-eat food the business did not make.

Do we need a Food Safety Supervisor as well as trained food handlers?

Yes. They are separate obligations. Food handler training applies to every food handler and need not be accredited. The business must appoint at least one Food Safety Supervisor holding the relevant competency units on a certificate issued within the preceding five years. The FSS must remain reasonably available; a business may appoint more than one to cover shifts and leave.

How long do the food safety records have to be kept?

Three months after being made, accessible at the premises. That duty applies to category one businesses only.

Which award covers a standalone restaurant?

MA000119 Restaurant Industry Award 2020. MA000009 covers hotels, pubs, resorts, casinos and caterers, so a restaurant inside a hotel is MA000009 while a standalone site of the same brand is MA000119.

Does completing a Certificate III change what staff must be paid?

It can. Under MA000119 clause 18.1 a relevant Certificate III or higher, used at work, sets a minimum classification of Level 4. Check the current rate in the award itself.

How soon should a certificate arrive after the final assessment?

Within 30 calendar days of the completion of the assessment, provided the qualification is complete and all agreed fees are paid.

Can experienced staff be recognised rather than retrained?

Potentially, through recognition of prior learning under Standard 1.6, assessed against the same unit requirements. It is not available through government funding, and it is raised at the pre-training review required under Standard 2.2 of the Outcome Standards.

Can you issue a NSW Food Safety Supervisor certificate?

No. We are not on the NSW Food Authority's approved provider list. A NSW venue needing that certificate needs a NSW-approved provider.

Do staff need a Unique Student Identifier?

For nationally recognised training, a USI is generally required before a qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued, unless an applicable exemption applies. See the official USI exemption guidance (https://www.usi.gov.au/students/create-your-usi/exemptions-usi). It is free; recover an existing USI rather than creating another.

Should the USI appear on the certificate?

No. It must not be printed on a qualification or Statement of Attainment, so its absence is correct rather than an error. The RTO must also ask the Registrar to verify that the identifier belongs to the person before using it.