What is an apprenticeship?

What is an apprenticeship, in plain words?

The Skills Development Act is the national law on training. It says an apprenticeship is "a learnership in respect of a listed trade", and that it includes the trade test for that trade.

That sounds heavy, so here are the parts:

• Learnership: a vocational training programme that links structured learning with work experience. Read more in our guide to what a learnership is.
• Listed trade: an occupation the Minister has officially listed (under section 26B of the Act) as one that needs an artisan qualification.
• Trade test: the final test you must pass at an accredited trade test centre. By law, you cannot become an artisan without it.
• Artisan: someone who has been certified as competent in a listed trade.

So an apprenticeship is simply a learnership for a trade. It is one route to becoming an artisan in trades such as welding or motor mechanics. See what trade jobs involve on our careers pages.

How does an apprenticeship work?

Here are the steps, in order:

1. You need an employer. The law says an apprenticeship is an agreement between three parties: you, an employer and a training provider accredited by the QCTO. (The QCTO is the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. It looks after trade and occupational qualifications.)
2. You all sign an agreement. It runs for a set period. It must be registered with a SETA (a Sector Education and Training Authority).
3. You work and you learn. Your employer must employ you, give you the practical work experience that was agreed, and let you off work to attend training. You must work for the employer and attend the training.
4. You get a contract of employment. If you were not already working for that employer, the law says you must sign one. It runs for the period in the agreement.
5. You write the trade test. More on this below.
6. You get your trade certificate. The QCTO issues it when you pass.

Once you have signed, the agreement cannot just be ended early. It can end early only if you have completed the programme, if the SETA approves, or if you are fairly dismissed for a reason to do with your conduct or your ability to do the job.

How much of an apprenticeship is on the job?

A lot. Every qualification has "credits". Career Help (a Department of Higher Education and Training service) says a learnership usually has 120 credits, or 1,200 notional hours of learning. That works out to about 10 hours per credit. Two examples from SAQA, the South African Qualifications Authority:

The Motor Mechanic's 270 workplace credits add up to about 2,700 hours in a real workshop. That is half of the whole qualification. The Welder's 152 workplace credits are about 1,520 hours.

How long does an apprenticeship take?

There is no single answer. It depends on the trade. As one example, merSETA says its auto and metal apprenticeships can run for a maximum of four years. Its motor apprenticeship contracts are four years, with an automatic extra year. Check the length in your agreement before you sign.

Do apprentices get paid?

You are employed, so your employer pays you while you learn. How much depends on your trade, your employer and, in some industries, an agreement between employers and unions.

For example, in the Cape building industry, the Building Industry Bargaining Council sets minimum hourly rates for apprentices, and they go up in each apprenticeship year. Ask for the exact amount in writing before you start.

What about training costs? It depends on the programme. merSETA says that for its apprentices the employer pays for the N2 classes, the exam fees at the technical college and the medical examination. The Western Cape government says an apprentice's stipend may be paid by the business, and sometimes a SETA or another government department helps to fund it.

Warning: government has warned job seekers to be wary of anyone who asks them to make payments for a learning or training opportunity. If someone asks you for money, check with the SETA or your nearest Labour Centre first.

Apprenticeship, learnership or internship: what is the difference?

• Apprenticeship: a learnership for a listed trade. It ends with a trade test and a trade certificate.
• Learnership: a programme that mixes theory and workplace practice and leads to an NQF-registered qualification. (The NQF is the National Qualifications Framework.) By law, a learnership includes an apprenticeship.
• Internship: on-the-job training for someone who already has a qualification and wants experience.

What do you need to start an apprenticeship?

It depends on the trade and the qualification. There is no one rule for every apprenticeship.

Here are examples:

• SAQA: the Welder and the Automotive Motor Mechanic qualifications both ask for NQF Level 1 with Mathematics and Science. The Welder record also accepts Grade 9 plus a metal work and welding programme.
• merSETA: its minimum entry age is 16, and the subjects it asks for differ between its trade groups.

Always read the entry rules for the exact trade. Your school or your nearest SETA can help you check them.

How do you find an apprenticeship?

1. Pick your trade first. Browse our careers pages to see what each job involves.
2. Find the SETA for that trade. merSETA, for example, says candidates apply through the process in the employer's advert.
3. Ask a TVET college. The government's Vuk'uzenzele magazine describes the route as attending a TVET college and then doing workplace learning. Read our guide to what a TVET college is.
4. Register as a work-seeker. Do it at your nearest Labour Centre, so employers can find you if they start a learnership. You can also contact SETAs to ask which companies are taking learners.
5. Get your documents ready. merSETA's apprenticeship contract needs certified copies of your ID and highest school certificate, plus a medical certificate.

What happens at the trade test?

You write the trade test at a trade test centre accredited by the QCTO. These centres can include a workplace.

Here is what the Trade Test Regulations say:

• You get three trade test attempts during the period of your agreement.
• If you are still not competent after three attempts, you are referred for recognition of prior learning (see below).
• You can lodge a written complaint within five working days if you think something unfair happened.
• You can appeal a result within 21 working days.

When you pass, the QCTO issues your trade certificate. The QCTO says the certificate should be issued within three months of the test, if your documents were submitted on time and correctly. You are an artisan only once you have passed and have the certificate.

Already working in a trade, with no papers?

You might not need an apprenticeship. Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL) lets you prove what you can already do. The rules say you must:

• be at least 19 years old, and
• have at least three years of verifiable work experience in the trade. It can come from several employers or from your own customers.

You are assessed. If you score 50% or more, you can be recommended for the trade test. If you are not yet ready, you may need more training first. ARPL only gives you access to the trade test. You still have to pass it.

Is an apprenticeship right for you?

It can be a great choice if:

• You learn by doing. Most of the learning happens on a real job.
• You want to earn while you learn. You are employed during the programme.
• You want a recognised trade. The trade certificate is issued by the QCTO.

It might not be the best fit if:

• Your dream job needs a university degree. A trade certificate will not replace it.
• You can't find an employer. The agreement needs one.
• You want a guaranteed job at the end. For learners who were not already employed there, the law ends the employment contract when the agreement ends. It does not promise you a job afterwards, so ask the employer what happens next.

What to do next

1. Choose a trade on our careers pages.
2. Find its SETA and check the entry rules.
3. Register as a work-seeker this week.
4. Compare other routes in our life after school guides, and see how to fund your studies.

Frequently asked questions

Sources:

• Skills Development Act (LawLibrary)
• Trade Test Regulations
• QCTO: For learners
• SAQA 94100 Welder
• SAQA 118733 Motor Mechanic
• merSETA: Apprenticeships
• ARPL Guidelines (GN 228)