As a career path that involves applying technical and vocational skills to provide a service and produce a product in exchange for payment, it should come as no surprise that becoming an artisan can be a lucrative career choice.
By definition, an artisan is a skilled manual labourer who works with tools and machinery to perform a certain craft.
To become an artisan, you will have to pass a Trade Test in your field to be nationally recognised as an artisan. But first, you'll need to attend a TVET college to learn the theoretical skills needed to study the practical skills necessary to become an artisan.
In order for one to become an Artisan there are several pathways in which they can choose from and gain all the necessary knowledge and experience required. Below we have listed all the possible pathways that you can choose from as stated by The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET):
1. Attend A TVET College
In order to become an artisan, you need compete a course linked to one of the artisan trades. You can complete qualifications such as the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) and Nated (Technical) National Certificate courses. The length of these courses is dependant on the programme you register for and can range anywhere from a semester to 3 years.
2. Apply To Be Part Of A Learnership
A learnership is a work-based learning programme that leads to a nationally recognised qualification. Learnerships are available for those who have just finished school, college students and even the unemployed. Learnerships give you the opportunity to achieve a qualification and gain work experience at the same time. Essentially, you earn while you learn. In order to apply for a learnership you need to be between the ages of 16 and 35 years old.
3. Become An Apprentice
During an apprenticeship, you would work under the guidance and supervision of a qualified artisan. To do this, you would need to have a minimum qualification of Grade 9 or an N2 Certificate in the specific trade you want to pursue a career in. Training includes a combination of theory (content-based learning) and practical work (on the job, work experience). The length of an apprenticeship varies from 18 to 36 months. Once you have gained enough practical experience combined with theoretical knowledge, you will be able to gain access to a trade test.
4. Apply For Recognition Of Prior Learning (RPL)
This refers to a process whereby your prior learning can be officially recognised in terms of registered qualifications and unit standards, regardless of where and how the learning was attained. RPL acknowledges that people never stop learning, whether it takes place formally at an educational institution, or whether it happens informally.
These are the minimum requirements needed to apply for RPL:
- You need to be 19 years or older
- You need to have work experience in the specific trade for at least 36 months (3 years)
- There are no specific educational requirements, but any educational background should be stated
