What an apprenticeship actually is

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.

Where this leads next

1. 1

   Qualified artisan

   Passing the trade test at an accredited centre.

2. 2

   Chargehand or foreman

   Several years at the trade plus demonstrated ability to run a small team.

3. 3

   Artisan supervisor or technician

   Further study — typically an N-diploma or an engineering technician qualification — on top of the trade.

4. 4

   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.