Learnerships in South Africa
A learnership combines classroom learning with work experience at an employer and leads to a registered qualification. These are the open adverts with "learnership" in the title.
Never pay for a learnership. Real learnerships, internships and jobs never ask you for money: not for an application, registration, training material, a uniform, a background check or to "secure your place". If someone asks you to pay or to deposit money first, it is a scam. The Department of Employment and Labour says no one may charge a work seeker a fee for finding them work.
What a learnership is
Under section 16 of the Skills Development Act, a learnership has a structured learning part and a structured work experience part, leads to a qualification registered by the South African Qualifications Authority for a trade, occupation or profession, and is registered with the Director-General of the Department. The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) set them up for their sectors.
You sign a learnership agreement with the employer and the training provider. If you were unemployed before, you also sign an employment contract for the length of the learnership. Learners are usually paid an allowance; the amount is in the advert and the agreement.
How to find one
Apply to the adverts below and to employers in the sector you want to work in. Government also advises registering as a work seeker at your nearest Labour Centre (or on ESSA online) so employers starting a learnership can find you, and contacting the SETA for your sector to ask which companies offer learnerships.
Questions
- Do I have to pay for a learnership?
- No. A genuine learnership never asks you to pay to apply, register or be selected. Report anyone who asks for money to the Department of Employment and Labour or the SAPS.
- Who can apply for a learnership?
- It depends on the learnership. Each advert sets its own requirements, such as age, Grade 12 or a certain NQF level, and sometimes being unemployed or living in a particular area. Read the advert before you apply.
- Do learners get paid?
- Learners usually get a monthly allowance (often called a stipend) for the length of the learnership. The amount differs between learnerships and is stated in the advert and the learnership agreement.
- What qualification do I get?
- A learnership leads to a qualification registered by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), at the NQF level stated in the advert, once you complete both the learning and the workplace parts.
- Where else can I look?
- Register as a work seeker at a Labour Centre or on ESSA, ask the SETA for your sector which companies run learnerships, and, if you are 18 to 34, look at SA Youth, which is free to use.
Sources
- Skills Development Act 97 of 1998, section 16 (gov.za)
- How do I register for a learnership if I am unemployed? (gov.za)
- List of SETAs and their contact details (Department of Higher Education and Training)
- Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA), Department of Employment and Labour
- SA Youth (sayouth.mobi), run with Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
- Work seekers warned not to pay for employment (Department of Employment and Labour, 5 February 2024)
- Department of Employment and Labour warns job seekers against a scam learnership (labour.gov.za)
Rules and programmes change: confirm details in each advert and with the organisation that runs it.
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