Why young South Africans should study a trade

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Learning a trade can open many doors for young people. This is the view of Zizile Lushaba, human capital and skills development executive at the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), who believes that innovative, driven self-starters who are technical and enjoy solving problems and working with their hands make good candidates for artisan training, which can include becoming a welder, fitter and turner, boilermaker or pipe fitter.

At a time when the unemployment rate is close to 40%, the focus on post-school education and training must be on being employable. Choosing a trade increases young people’s chances of being employed as there is huge demand for more artisans in all sectors of the economy, and this is not only true of South Africa. The emphasis on practical training makes newly qualified tradespeople infinitely more employable than university graduates. “Trades require the following three elements, theory, practical training and on-the-job training, which allows the learner to be exposed to the workplace sooner than university graduates, and provides the opportunity to learn from professionals who guide and mentor them,” says Lushaba.

“University is theory intensive, while a trade provides an opportunity for individuals who might not excel as much on theory but would be far better with hands-on, practical exposure and learning. Being employed as an apprentice and/or qualifying as an artisan also provides earlier earnings prospects, which is a big benefit for many South African families,” she says.

There are many colleges around the country where young people can learn a trade. The SEIFSA Training Centre in Benoni, for example, offers a full range of artisan training − from welders to electricians. It has also kept up to date with the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The centre also offers skills such as robotics and 3D printing to meet industry demands and these skills are taught using e-learning, virtual reality, and e-assessments. The centre can train 250 people per day and offers apprenticeships in 10 trades.

Many young people and their parents, worry about how they can increase their chances of finding employment, especially with the unemployment rate being so high. Artisans are always in demand, from the most to the least developed economies, and this is unlikely to change in the near future.

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Why young South Africans should study a trade

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