Becoming an Artisan: From Apprenticeship to Trade Test and Red Seal

Electricians, fitters, boilermakers, welders, plumbers, millwrights, diesel mechanics, instrument mechanics: South Africa's power stations, mines, factories, ports and building sites depend on qualified artisans, and employers consistently struggle to find enough of them. A trade certificate is one of the most valuable qualifications you can hold. It is recognised nationally, it is in demand across industries, and it can lead to supervisory roles, your own business or further study in engineering.

Yet many young people are not sure how to become an artisan, and many experienced workers have years of skill but no certificate to prove it. This guide explains what being a qualified artisan means, the different routes to the trade test, what the training involves and how to find opportunities.

What a qualified artisan is

In South Africa, an artisan is a person who has been certified as competent in a listed trade by passing a national trade test. The list of trades is set nationally and includes trades such as electrician, fitter, fitter and turner, boilermaker, welder, millwright, plumber, carpenter, bricklayer, diesel mechanic, motor mechanic, instrument mechanician, rigger and many more.

When you pass the trade test, you receive a trade certificate, which people commonly call a "Red Seal". Job adverts use both terms, for example "Trade Test Certificate (Red Seal) in Fitting or Fitting and Turning". The certificate shows employers that you have met the national standard for your trade.

The national artisan development system is overseen by the National Artisan Moderation Body, and trade tests are conducted at accredited trade test centres. INDLELA, in Gauteng, is the best-known public trade test centre.

The three main routes to the trade test

1. Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is the traditional route. You are employed by a company as an apprentice, usually on a contract, and you learn the trade through a combination of technical theory and practical work under the supervision of qualified artisans. At the end, you write the trade test.

Apprenticeships are offered by large employers such as power utilities, mines, manufacturers, transport companies and municipalities, as well as smaller engineering firms. They typically take about three to four years, depending on the trade and how much prior training you have. Apprentices receive an allowance or wage while they train.

2. Learnerships and occupational programmes

Some trades can be reached through learnerships or occupational qualifications that combine learning at a training provider or college with workplace experience, leading to the trade test. These are often funded through the relevant SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority) and offered through employers or accredited training providers. Our guide to learnerships, internships and apprenticeships explains how these differ.

3. Recognition of prior learning (ARPL)

If you have worked in a trade for years without formal qualifications, you may be able to qualify through artisan recognition of prior learning. You are assessed against the requirements of the trade, using evidence of your work experience and practical assessments. If there are gaps, you complete targeted training. When you are ready, you write the trade test. This route is valuable for experienced workers who learned on the job.

Entry requirements

Requirements depend on the trade, the employer and the programme, but common requirements include:

• Grade 12 with mathematics and physical science, especially for electrical, instrumentation and mechanical trades. Mathematical Literacy is often not accepted for the more technical trades.
• N-level technical subjects. N1 to N3 qualifications from TVET colleges, in subjects such as mathematics, engineering science, and trade theory, are widely used. Some adverts ask for N2 or N3 instead of, or in addition to, Grade 12.
• Aptitude tests. Employers often test mathematics, mechanical reasoning and spatial ability before selecting apprentices.
• Medical fitness, particularly for trades that involve heights, heavy lifting or hazardous environments.

If you are still at school and interested in a trade, taking mathematics and physical science and doing well in them is the single best thing you can do. If you finished school with Mathematical Literacy, N-level studies at a TVET college can help you meet the technical requirements.

What training looks like

Whatever the route, artisan training combines three things:

1. Theory. Technical knowledge of your trade: drawings, calculations, materials, regulations and safety standards. This may be studied at a TVET college or training centre.
2. Practical skills at a training centre. Basic and advanced practical skills, learned in workshops where mistakes are safe.
3. Workplace experience. Real work under supervision, building speed, judgement and the full range of tasks your trade requires. Apprentices usually keep a logbook of the work they complete.

Safety runs through all of it. Artisans work with electricity, heavy machinery, heights and hazardous materials, and employers and trade tests treat safety as non-negotiable.

The trade test itself

The trade test is a practical and theoretical assessment of whether you can do the work of your trade to the national standard. Depending on the trade, it can include written questions and practical tasks, such as fault-finding on electrical circuits, building or repairing components to specification, or welding to a set standard, done within time limits.

Before you can book a trade test, you usually need to show that you have completed the required training and workplace experience, through your logbook and supporting documents. If you do not pass part of the test, you can usually retest after further training.

Careers after qualifying

A trade certificate opens doors across many industries. Qualified artisans work in power generation and distribution, mining, manufacturing, transport, construction, water utilities, property maintenance and municipalities. With experience, artisans move into roles such as artisan foreman, maintenance supervisor, planner or technical trainer, and some go on to study further to become technicians or engineers. Many also start their own businesses, especially electricians and plumbers, though some work requires additional registration, such as registration with the Department of Employment and Labour for electricians who issue certificates of compliance.

In job adverts, look for the trade named precisely. An advert for an "Artisan Fitter" asking for a "Trade Test Certificate (Red Seal) in Fitting or Fitting and Turning" will usually not accept a different trade, so make sure your certificate matches.

Finding apprenticeships and artisan jobs

• Watch the careers sites of large employers such as Eskom, Transnet, Sasol, mining companies, chemical companies and municipalities for apprenticeship intakes.
• Ask TVET colleges and SETAs about apprenticeship and occupational programmes in your trade.
• If you are experienced but uncertified, ask accredited trade test centres and training providers about recognition of prior learning.
• Keep your CV focused on your trade: list your certificates, the equipment you can work on and the types of work you have done.

OnboardingSA lists artisan and apprentice posts from employers such as Eskom, Transnet, Sasol, Omnia and Rand Water. Search our homepage for "artisan", "apprentice" or the name of your trade to see what is open now.

Questions people ask

This guide is written by OnboardingSA to help South African job seekers. Rules and forms change, so always follow the official advert and the employer's own instructions. Browse current jobs →