Chefs & Cooks - The ANZSCO is not a statutory straight jacket!
Debates in the AAT and Immigration about chefs and cooks shows both bodies on occasion are using the wrong approach to the ANZSCO. The ANZSCO itself says:
“The allocation of a particular occupation to a particular skill level should be seen as indicative only and should not be used prescriptively.
The definitional material describing each occupation is intended primarily as an aid to interpreting occupation statistics classified to ANZSCO. The descriptions are, therefore, only a guide to the tasks undertaken and skills involved in various occupations and are not a definitive statement of what is required.”
Further the ANZSCO says:
“As it is rare for two actual jobs to have identical sets of tasks, in practical terms, an 'occupation' is a set of jobs whose main tasks are characterised by a high degree of similarity.”
Especially in relation to the distinction between chefs and cooks the following is pertinent:
“Care needs to be taken when assigning information about particular jobs to ANZSCO classes because the same job titles can be used in different industries to describe different occupations (e.g. business analyst). Additionally, the titles used in ANZSCO are not an exhaustive list of all titles used by people to describe an occupation.”
You will find all of these quotes in the ‘Contents’ page of the ANZSCO, well worth reading in total.
Here is a comparative table of the tasks set out in the ANZSCO:
As can be seen from the above comparative table, there is considerable overlap between the tasks undertaken by a Cook in comparison to the tasks undertaken by a Chef.
The most important task of both cooks and chefs is “preparing and cooking food”.
All good ‘chefs’ undertake “preparing and cooking food” as do all good ‘cooks’.
For chefs the ANZSO lists these specialisations: Chef de Partie, Commis Chef, Demi Chef, Second Chef, Sous Chef
What the ANZSCO says about specialisations is very relevant :
“Specialisation titles - any commonly used titles which refer to a subset of jobs belonging to the occupation designated in the principal title. These jobs involve the performance of specialised tasks rather than the broader range of tasks usually performed in the occupation.”
Here is what the Macquarie Dictionary says about chef specialisations:
chef de partie
noun (plural chefs de partie)
a chef in a large kitchen who is responsible for a particular area of production, as roasts, grills, vegetables, sauces, etc.; station chef.
commis chef
noun a chef working under the supervision of a chef de partie, especially one who is gaining experience in every aspect of the process.
[French: junior chef]
demi chef
noun → chef de partie.
sous-chef
noun a head chef's assistant and deputy.
[French: under-chef]
The word ‘chef’ comes from French phrase Chef de Cuisine, literally meaning ‘Chief of the Kitchen’. But as can be seen from the above analysis, in any establishment there can be more than one ‘chef’. And in any particular establishment there need be only one ‘Chef’ without there being a need for cooks working under him or her.
Also of relevance is the fact that the ANZSCO recognises self-employment:
The concept of job
” A 'job' is defined as a set of tasks designed to be performed by one person for an employer (including self-employment) in return for payment or profit. Individual persons are classified by occupation through their relationship to a past, present or future job.
Any particular job will typically involve an individual working for a particular employer and undertaking a particular set of tasks. People working for themselves are considered as having a job and belonging to the labour force.”
The ANZSCO is not a statutory straight jacket!
Further even the Restaurant Industry Award 2020 does not clearly distinguish between a ‘chef’ and a ‘cook’.
In this current era of skill shortages, getting the best advantage of the ANZSCO is important. In some cases having a job classified as a ‘chef’ may be an advantage, but in some other cases a ‘cook’ classification can be more appropriate.
As far as the subclass 482 visa is concerned, ‘chef’ is on the ‘Medium and Longterm Strategic Skills List’ and therefore has a pathway to permanent residence. ‘Cook’ is on the’ Shortterm Skilled Occupation List’ which has no pathway to permanent residence.
However there is some historical preservation of a pathway to PR for those who have held a subclass 457 visa as a cook and of course, ‘cook’ is a pathway to permanent residence through the regional visas. There are still cases working their way through the system as cooks for ENS and RSMS purposes.
My final word on this is:
All Italians claim to be good chefs, myself included but, of course many disagree, the proof is in the eating! Buon appetito.