A gender revolution has begun in what were exclusively male industries, led by a still-tiny vanguard of women artisans produced by South Africa’s TVET College system.

It’s pretty much a given that any schoolgirl (or schoolboy) asked to describe a  ‘boilermaker’ or ‘shipbuilder’ will not imagine anyone remotely like Lee-Anne Andrews or Candra Pedro, but this is destined to change if they have anything to do with it. And it’s not just because gender prejudice and stereotypes have no place in our democracy.

With the country experiencing an official unemployment rate of 27,6% and a youth unemployment rate of 63,4%, our economy needs double the number of artisans it currently produces annually if it is to grow to a level that provides decent work for everyone.

In Lee-Anne’s case, she enrolled at Northlink College in 2008 for the newly launched NC(V) Engineering Fabrication certificate course.

After passing many of the 21 subjects with distinction, she joined Damen Shipping as an Apprentice Boilermaker in 2011 and passed her trade test in Boilermaking in May 2013, becoming the first female boilermaker in South Africa.

Only 27 years old, Lee-Anne is a lecturer at False Bay TVET College.

With a father and brother being artisans, Bonteheuwel-born Candra began making unusual but natural choices in high school, including taking Woodwork as a subject. After matriculating at Spes Bona High in 2010, she enrolled for the N5 level National Certificate in Multi–Disciplinary Drawing Office Practice.

Soon thereafter, she saw an Armscor advert for a shipbuilding apprenticeship. She was placed in the Shipbuilding Apprenticeship Programme based at Simonstown Dockyard. After completing her Structural Steel and Plating N2 Certificate at Northlink College and six years of work to meet the work experience requirement, she took the trade test at False Bay TVET College in May 2019.

Lee-Anne says, “As the first qualified female boilermaker I felt honoured to test Candra during her Shipbuilding trade test. I admired her confident ability to perform under tremendous pressure. I’m really proud of her for setting a benchmark and being so inspiring to other young women.”

False Bay TVET College Trade Test Centre coordinator, Ndileka Ndzolo, is quick to disabuse anyone from thinking that the path female artisans choose is easy.

“The artisan environment is not easy at all. Having been a male-dominated environment historically, learning and succeeding in it requires a lot of courage, focus, determination and resilience.”

Despite this, Ms Ndzolo says there has been a substantial increase in females successfully completing trade tests, “especially in the past two years or so”, which she ascribes to the DHET’s strategy from around 2014 of publicising artisanship through national roadshows.

Candra says her male supervisors and head artisans were protective of her as the only female and the youngest apprentice in her class. Candra’s achievement no doubt had the added value of helping her class and workmates to see their trades less in terms of gender and more in terms of competence and skill.

Having blazed the trail, Lee-Anne and Candra feel more women will become artisans, as role models now exist who proved that it can be done. Says Candra, “if you can stand heights and tight spaces and getting dirty, all you need to succeed is determination, perseverance and self-belief.”

One of the pathways to becoming a qualified Artisan is by the way of an RPL Apprenticeship. In this way, you approach your qualification back-to-front. You have the workplace experience, but you don’t have the theory training. In other words, you have learned on the job. Now all you need is the recognized qualification.

Application requirements

Minimum requirements are that you should possess at least an N2 qualification PLUS at least 6 years of work experience in a specific trade.

Application process

You must make your application at a Trade Test Centre that is accredited for the trade you’re applying for. If your application meets the requirements,

you will be asked to prepare a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE). You will be assisted in this process by your Trade Test Centre advisor.

Preparing your PoE (Portfolio of Evidence)

Your Portfolio must include:

• your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and any other certified supporting documents of qualifications
• current and previous employment records
• the trade-related duties you performed, together with any photographic proof where available.

If you have been self-employed, you provide proof of trade-related evidence and affidavits (signed in the presence of an officer of the law) from clients and a community.

The evaluation process

A Technical Panel comprising of at least one qualified artisan for your particular trade, who is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) plus an approved and registered moderator/assessor will evaluate your PoE to determine your compliance with the criteria as set out by the National Artisan Moderation Body (NAMB). If you meet the criteria, you will be registered to undergo the ARPL process of evaluation and assessment in an interview.

The Evaluation/Interview process

Your interview will be conducted by an assessor. You will be given a checklist with an overview of your specific trade to determine the extent of your theoretical and practical knowledge. This will help the assessor determine your level of competence. Next, your completed checklist will be signed by you, the assessor and a witness. You will then be given feedback on what gaps were identified and how they will be addressed.

Feedback

After the interview, the Assessor will give feedback regarding any gaps which may have been identified. The Assessor will, together with the candidate, agree on the extent of the gaps identified and how the gaps are to be closed.

A report will be drafted and given to you to hand to the accredited Skills Development Programme for gap closure. A copy of the signed report must be included in the PoE.

The Assessor will then refer you for gap closure to an accredited SDP or an approved workplace closest to you. You will be referred through the following routes:

Route A:

If you completed the assessment with few gaps, you will be referred directly to Phase 1, 2 and Workplace experience assessment.

Route B:

If you are required to undergo gap closure, a focussed programme for your trade will be developed by the accredited SDP or an approved workplace.

Phase Assessments

Knowledge/Theory Assessment

When gaps have been closed at the accredited SDP or training centre, Assessment of Trade knowledge will be conducted to determine your depth of knowledge against a set of questions based on the particular trade.

Practical Task Assessment

Where gaps are identified related to your trade practice, you will be required to perform Practical tasks related to your particular trade. At least two or more different integrated tasks are assessed to determine whether you have the skills and knowledge required. These tasks may be similar in format to the tasks you may receive in the trade test.

Workplace Experience

If you are currently in employment, an assessor may come to your workplace as you perform your daily duties. If you are self-employed or unemployed, the evaluation interview will determine the level and extent of the workplace experience you have.

Technical Portfolio of Evidence

Once all these assessments are completed, your assessor will help you update your PoE. This then is your Technical PoE. The recommendation of the Assessor for trade testing will be included in the PoE as well as the process you must follow to book your test.

For more information visit the National Artisan Development Support Centre 

TVET is an abbreviation for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. TVET Colleges offer qualifications such as the National Certificate (Vocational) and Nated (Technical) National Certificate courses that are linked to artisan trades. The duration of a course is dependent on the programme you register for.  It can be anything from a semester to 3 years.

Click here to find a TVET college in your area

Examples of some TVET artisan qualifications: NCV Mechanical Engineering, NCV Building and Construction, National Certificate: N1 Engineering studies, etc. 

2. Attend a private college

3. Apply to be part of a Learnership

Learnerships are work-based learning programmes that eventually lead to a nationally recognised qualification.
Learnerships are open to those who have left school, students from colleges and other training institutions. Learnerships are open to the unemployed.  It offers them the opportunity to gain a qualification and work experience at the same time.  Individuals entering into a Learnership programme must be between the ages of 16 and 35 years old.

Examples of some Learnership employment sectors: Manufacturing & Engineering, Banking, Safety and Security, Tourism & Hospitality.

4.  Become an Apprentice

An Apprenticeship is a combination of practical workplace experience together with learning theory.  It’s directly related to an artisan trade occupation which leads to a national artisan trade qualification.
Once an Apprenticeship is successfully completed, and after passing your national trade test, you will then be a qualified artisan in your trade. Apprenticeships are funded by Sector Education and Training Authorities. (SETAS)
Examples of Apprenticeship training: Hairdressing, Welding, Boilermaking, Mechanics etc.

5.  Apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL)

• • Have you gained skills and knowledge in a specific trade as a result of years of on the job experience?

• • Did you grow up helping your dad in his plumbing or carpentry business? 
  • Did you go on to becoming part of the family business?

If you can relate to the above then chances are you have gained non-formal learning experience in a specific trade. You could receive recognition for your on-the-job-learning and this can lead to a formal qualification. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is the recognition of previous learning and experience.  These skills will be measured and tested against the learning outcomes required for a specified qualification.
For example:  If you have worked and trained under your dad as a Plumber for 5 years, you could apply to your local FET College, directly through the RPL Officer, to sit a test to find out what level of Plumbing skills you’ve reached. You might find you need further training.  If not  – you could sit your Plumbing Trade Test.  Once qualified, you could earn a much higher salary.

Read more about RPL here

TIP: Visit or contact your nearest TVET College regardiNG their RPL policies.

‘The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.’        – B. B. King