Enrolling in a course: what we need from you, and what you should get from us

This is the enrolment page. The form itself is handled on our main site; this page sets out what enrolment actually involves, so that you know what to expect and what to ask for before you commit any money.

There are two routes into most of our courses, and which one applies to you changes the paperwork:

If you are not sure which applies, start here and we will work it out with you. Do not guess, because the eligibility test is ours to apply and we carry the evidentiary burden for it.

Step 1 — enquire, and be told whether the course suits you

Before you enrol, we are required to review your skills and competencies — including your language, literacy and numeracy proficiency and your digital literacy — and then, based on that review, advise you whether the training product is suitable for you.

That is a pre-training review. It is an obligation on us, not a formality, and it exists to stop people paying for a course that will not work for them. If a qualification is the wrong fit, or a different one is a better fit, we would rather tell you before you pay than after.

For funded enrolments the pre-training review is also an auditable record. The department can require evidence of each pre-training review on request.

Step 2 — get your USI, or confirm the one you have

Every student undertaking nationally recognised training in Australia needs a Unique Student Identifier. It is free and takes a few minutes. See USI.

The reason it is non-negotiable is statutory. Under section 53 of the Student Identifiers Act 2014, a registered training organisation must not issue a VET qualification or a VET statement of attainment to an individual unless the individual has been assigned a student identifier. So without a USI, you can sit the course and still not be able to receive the certificate.

Two things follow from that:

• We must ask the Registrar to verify that the USI you give us belongs to you, before we use it for any purpose. If we contact you to confirm your name or date of birth, that is the verification step.
• We must not print your USI on the certificate. Its absence there is correct.

Note that some funding systems pull this requirement forward. In New South Wales, for example, holding a valid USI (or having applied for one) is an eligibility criterion for a subsidised place, rather than only a condition of issuing the certificate.

Step 3 — read what you are entitled to receive before you pay

This is the step most often skipped, and it is the one with the most protection in it.

We must provide you with documentation prior to your enrolment or before any fees are required to be paid which sets out:

1. the training that we or any third party will provide to you;
2. all fees, costs and charges you will be required to pay; and
3. any obligations or liabilities that we or any third party may impose on you.

Separately, the following must be easily accessible to you:

• the training product code and title, duration, modes of delivery, training delivery location, commencement dates, scheduling, and any requirements to commence or complete the training product including assessment requirements;
• whether any licensing or occupational licence requirements apply — directly relevant to RSA, food safety supervision and food handling, where the licensing requirement is set by a state or territory regulator and not by the qualification;
• details of any third party arrangements applying to delivery;
• the training support and wellbeing support services available to you, and how to access them;
• all fees, costs and charges, including payment terms and conditions, any applicable refund policy, and the availability of any relevant government training entitlements and subsidies; and
• any obligations or liabilities imposed on you, including any requirement to acquire materials, equipment or IT, any costs and processes associated with withdrawing from training, any costs and processes associated with obtaining a Student Identifier, and any requirement to undertake a work placement.

We must also tell you, as soon as practicable, about any changes to training products or to our operations that may affect you — including changes relating to the transition of superseded, deleted or expired training products.

If you have not been given all of that, ask. A provider reluctant to put the fee and withdrawal terms in writing is telling you something.

Step 4 — ask about credit before you start, not after

Two separate mechanisms may shorten your course, and the difference decides which evidence you need.

Recognition of prior learning. You must be offered opportunities to seek RPL and made aware of our RPL policy. Decisions are based on evidence of your prior skills, learning and experience, assessed through our assessment system, and documented and decided in a way that is fair, transparent, consistent between students and preserves the integrity of the training product. RPL is an assessment, so ask what evidence is accepted and whether a fee applies.

Credit transfer. You must be offered opportunities to seek credit transfer and made aware of our policy. The evidence is AQF certification documentation or an authenticated VET transcript showing prior completion of an equivalent training product. Be aware that an older unit or qualification code may be recorded as not equivalent to the current one, in which case a gap assessment applies rather than a straight transfer.

In short: RPL assesses what you can do; credit transfer recognises what you have already been awarded.

Step 5 — enrol, and know what happens at the end

Once we have assessed you as meeting the requirements of the training product, we must issue your AQF certification documentation within 30 calendar days from the completion of the assessment, provided you have completed the qualification — or completed units of a qualification you have since withdrawn from — and have paid all agreed fees.

After that, the record is retained: certification records for thirty years, and the assessments you submitted for two years after you completed the training product. See downloading certificates for how to retrieve them.

What support is available while you study

• Access to support — you are entitled to access support services, trainers and assessors and other staff to support your progress throughout the training product. Support is part of progression, not only a response to difficulty.
• Reasonable adjustments — if you have a disability, you are supported to disclose it if you wish to, reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate, and where an adjustment is not appropriate or possible we must tell you why as soon as reasonably practicable.
• Wellbeing — we are required to identify the wellbeing needs of our student cohort by reference to the training product content, identify appropriate support services and tell students what is available.
• A safe and inclusive learning environment, including a culturally safe environment for First Nations people.

See student support sessions and policies and student toolkit.

If something goes wrong

You can make a complaint about us, about any third party, or about any person we employ or contract. All parties get procedural fairness, our policy identifies the timeframes, outcomes are documented and communicated to you, and there are avenues for further action if a complaint is not resolved.

If a decision of ours adversely affects you, you can appeal it — and if you are still not satisfied, you can request review by an independent party, which must be available at no or low cost to you. See policies.

Questions and answers

How do I enrol?

Start with an enquiry so we can run the pre-training review and tell you which fee route applies. See course enquiry or the enquiry form, or call 03 9654 1554. Then use the enrolment route that applies: funded or fee for service.

Why do I have to do an assessment before I even enrol?

Because we are required to. We must have procedures to review, prior to enrolment, the skills and competencies of prospective students — including language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy — and advise each prospective student whether the training product is suitable for them. It protects you from paying for a course that will not work.

Can I enrol without a USI?

You can enrol, but we cannot issue your qualification or statement of attainment until you have been assigned a student identifier. Some funding programs also make a valid USI an eligibility criterion at enrolment. Get it first; it is free and quick. See USI.

What must CHT give me before I pay?

Documentation setting out the training we or any third party will provide, all fees, costs and charges you will be required to pay, and any obligations or liabilities imposed on you. Separately, the course code and title, duration, delivery mode and location, start dates, assessment requirements, whether any licensing requirements apply, third party arrangements, support services available, all fees and refund policies and the availability of government subsidies, and all obligations including materials, withdrawal costs, USI costs and work placement requirements.

Are there entry requirements?

For most of our hospitality qualifications the training package states that there are no entry requirements. That is not the same as there being no suitability question — the pre-training review still applies. Separately, some licensing-linked short courses have jurisdictional age or other requirements set by a regulator rather than by the qualification, so check the specific course page.

What is the difference between funded and fee-for-service?

A funded place is subsidised by a government program and carries eligibility criteria you must meet and we must evidence. Fee for service means you or your employer pay the full fee and there is no eligibility test. See funded enrolment and fee-for-service enrolment.

Does a subsidy mean the course is free?

No. A subsidy reduces the fee; it rarely removes it. There are concession and fee-waiver categories in some programs, and separate non-tuition charges such as materials may still apply. Ask for a written statement of fees for your own enrolment.

Can I get credit for what I already know?

Yes, through one of two routes. Recognition of prior learning assesses your existing skills and experience against the units. Credit transfer recognises units you have already been awarded, evidenced by AQF certification documentation or an authenticated VET transcript. Raise it before you enrol — it can change the fee and the duration.

What if my old qualification has been superseded?

It may still carry, but not automatically. Where a current code is recorded as not equivalent to the one you hold, transition and teach-out obligations apply and a gap assessment is needed. Bring your statement of attainment or transcript and we will map it properly.

What happens if I withdraw?

The costs and the process for withdrawing must be disclosed to you before enrolment, along with any applicable refund policy. Read those two items specifically; they are the terms most likely to matter later. Note also that if you complete some units and then withdraw, you are still entitled to a statement of attainment for the units you completed, within the 30-day rule.

Is there a work placement?

Some qualifications include one. Any work placement requirement is an obligation we must disclose to you before enrolment, along with any costs attached to it. Ask for the hours, the supervision arrangement and the assessment tasks in writing before you start.

How long until I get my certificate?

Within 30 calendar days from the completion of your assessment, provided you have completed the qualification or units and paid all agreed fees, and provided you hold a USI. See downloading certificates.

What support can I get while studying?

Access to support services, trainers, assessors and other staff throughout your course; reasonable adjustments if you have a disability; wellbeing support identified by reference to your course content; and a safe, inclusive and culturally safe learning environment. See student support sessions.

What if I have a complaint, or want to challenge a result?

Complaints can be about us, a third party, or anyone we employ or contract, and our policy sets the timeframes. An adverse decision can be appealed, and if the internal appeal does not resolve it you can request review by an independent party at no or low cost to you. See policies.

How do I check CHT is registered to deliver the course I want?

training.gov.au, RTO 3722 — the record shows our registration status, period and full scope, including whether a given code is current and at what extent we hold it. For international students, cricos.education.gov.au, provider 04242E.

Related pages

Funded enrolment · Fee-for-service enrolment · Course enquiry · All courses · USI · Policies · Policies and student toolkit · FAQ · Contact

Complete Hospitality Training (Vic) Pty Ltd, RTO 3722, CRICOS provider code 04242E, ABN 27 006 947 262. Level 3, 28 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000. Contact melbourne@cht.edu.au or +61 3 9654 1554.

Pre-enrolment, information, support, complaints, appeals, recognition and certification requirements on this page are drawn from the Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations (F2025L00354), the Compliance Requirements for NVR Registered Training Organisations (F2025L00355) and the Student Identifiers Act 2014. Eligibility and fee rules for subsidised training are set by the relevant state program and change. Confirm course availability, delivery, fees, entry requirements and your own eligibility with us before enrolling.