While the unemployment rate remains alarmingly high in South Africa – which includes those that have obtained a university degree – there are other routes to employment, such as studying a trade.

This is according to the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa), which said learning a trade can open many doors for young people and deserves to be higher on the “what do I do after I leave” lists of both parents and learners.

Seifsa is a national federation representing 18 independent employer associations in the metal and engineering industries, with a combined membership of over 1,200 companies employing over 170,000 employees.

According to Human Capital and Skills Development Executive at Seifsa, Zizile Lushaba, while a degree-based career may pay better in some cases, you have to be employed before getting paid.

“South Africa has many unemployed graduates, which just goes to show that a degree does not always guarantee a job,” she said.

Interestingly, Lushaba added that there are far fewer trained artisans languishing among the unemployed than their degree counterparts.

“The emphasis on practical training makes newly qualified tradespeople infinitely more employable than university graduates”.

Lushaba believes that innovative, self-driven, self-starters who are technical and enjoy solving problems and working with their hands make good candidates for artisan training, which can include becoming a welder, fitter and turner, electrician or pipe fitter – among many others.

“Trades require the following three elements — theory, simulation (practical training) and experiential learning (on-the-job training). Experiential learning allows the learner to be exposed to the workplace sooner than university graduates, which provides the opportunity to learn from professionals who guide and mentor them,” said Lushaba.

Additionally, trades offer learners who may battle to achieve the marks needed to study at university an alternative and sometimes far better option than simply slotting into whatever degree they end up being accepted into.

“University is theory intensive while a trade provides an opportunity for individuals who might not excel as much in theory but would be far better with hands-on, practical exposure and learning. Being employed as an apprentice and/or qualifying as an artisan also provide earlier earnings prospects, which is a big benefit for many South African families,” she said.

Timeframe and requirements to become a tradesperson

According to Lushaba, becoming a fully qualified tradesperson in South Africa requires the following:

• Minimum three years, maximum four years;
• Six months of institutional training for single trades and nine months of training for dual trades such as millwright (electrical and mechanical);
• A minimum of 18 months of workplace exposure;
• A minimum of six weeks of trade test preparation; and
• Two-day trade test for single trades; three days for dual trades.

There are many colleges around the country where young people can learn a trade.

The Seifsa Training Centre in Benoni, Gauteng, for example, offers a full range of artisan training — from welders to electricians.

The Centre offers skills such as robotics and 3D printing to meet industry demands, and these skills are taught using e-learning, virtual reality and e-assessments. The Centre can train 250 people per day and offers apprenticeships in 10 trades.

Many artisans find that their practical skills and experience are perfectly suited to running their own small businesses, said Lushaba, as these skills are useful in “day-to-day life for those who are looking to explore the entrepreneurial route”.

Additionally, young people choosing to study trade will also be helping the South African economy as there is a dire need for more artisans.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was clear about this in his State of the Nation Address in February 2023.

He said the number of students taking part in artisan training in TVET colleges would be increased from 17,000 to 30,000 in the 2023 academic year. “One of the key ingredients for economic growth and competitiveness is the ability to attract skills which the economy needs,” he said.

Many young people and their parents worry about how they can increase their chances of finding employment, especially with the unemployment rate being so high. Artisans are always in demand, and this is unlikely to change in the near future, added Lushaba.

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