What an apprenticeship actually is

An apprenticeship is the route to a recognised trade. It runs considerably longer than a learnership and ends in a trade test at an accredited trade test centre — a practical examination you either pass or repeat. Passing is what makes you an artisan; time served alone does not.

What the work actually looks like

You work under a qualified artisan, on their tools and their jobs, and you are expected to be productive rather than watching.
Blocks of theory at a TVET college or training centre are interleaved with long stretches on site or in the workshop.
Every task is logged. The logbook is what gets you admitted to the trade test, so gaps in it delay qualification more often than poor practical work does.

What you leave with

A national trade qualification and artisan status once the trade test is passed — the credential commonly called a Red Seal. It is portable across employers and, for many trades, internationally recognised.

Where this leads next

Qualified artisan
Passing the trade test at an accredited centre.
Chargehand or foreman
Several years at the trade plus demonstrated ability to run a small team.
Artisan supervisor or technician
Further study — typically an N-diploma or an engineering technician qualification — on top of the trade.
Assessor, moderator or trade test officer
The trade plus an assessor qualification; a common route for artisans moving off the tools.

A typical route, not a guarantee — progression depends on vacancies, funding and your own performance.

Watch out for this

Check that the employer is accredited to train your trade and that your logbook is being signed as you go. Apprentices who discover an unsigned logbook near the end of the term lose months waiting for a trade test date.