It is a scheme that was first established under the Educational and Training Act of 1964 and it is now governed by the Industrial and Vocational Training Act of 1982.
It is designed to promote Industrial Training in Swaziland by ensuring that all Apprentices in the trades covered by the scheme receive adequate training. This is intended to empower Swazis to be competent in various industrial occupations.
It consists of practical training on the job under supervision and trade course training in an approved Technical Training Institution. This is aimed at achieving the requirement of an adequate base of skilled manpower in Eswatini.
Apprentice means a person who is bound by a written contract to serve an employer for a period not exceeding an aggregate of five years, with a view to acquiring a skill from a master. Apprenticeship training includes theory and practice of a trade in which the employer is bound to instruct that person.
- Motor Vehicle Mechanic
- Carpenter/ joiner
- Auto Electrician
- Agricultural Mechanic
- Pan Boiler
- Boiler Attendant
- Block Layer
- Spray Painting
- Mechanical Draughtsman
- Heavy Plant Mechanic\Construction Plant Mechanic
- Instrument Mechanic
- Plumber
- Turner/ Machinist
- Welder and Boilermaker (Fabricator )
- Upholstery
- Fitter
- Millwright
- Panel Beater
- Steel Fixing
- Shuttering
Everyone benefits from the planned training. The employer benefits by having artisans who are capable of understanding and carrying out complex tasks with a high degree of skill.
- Improves the employability of apprentices of all ages.
- Enable a cost- effective means of recruitment
- For apprentices, quality apprenticeships provide systematic training and a recognized qualification, offer remuneration and some security benefits, and enhanced opportunities to enter the Labour market.
- For the employer, quality apprenticeships provide work-ready and skilled employees and thus help to solve recruitment problems.
- For the government, quality apprenticeships facilitate the transition of young people into the Labour market, and thus ease the problem of skills mismatch and youth unemployment.
A company that desires to recruit apprentices will make a written application to the Director. Apprentices enter into a contract of apprenticeship if they are above 15 years of age with the consent of guardians or if above 18 years of age they are allowed to sign an apprenticeship contract. The minimum entry requirement of education is form three.
The apprentice is bound to the employer for a period of your apprenticeship to enable you to receive continuity of training. The basic period of apprenticeship is five years.
After the apprentice and his employer have agreed on engagement in an apprenticeship scheme, a contract is signed between them, laying down their respective rights and obligations. It is then the job of the apprenticeship officer to ensure that the terms of this contract are observed. Records are kept in the simplest form compatible with the information the Director may from time to time require. The Director specifies the maximum number of apprentices that can be employed at one time by any employer. The number depends on the size of the organization, and the training facilities available.
The apprenticeship period may be reduced provided the Director approves the previous training.
The welfare of apprentices is guided by the Director of Industrial and Vocational Training. The apprentice has the right to inform the Director in the event of any dispute with the employer. This may be done through the employer or on the apprentice’s spare time or agreed period with the employer.
It is an offense to induce an apprentice from his/ her employer. It is also an offense to employ an apprentice under contract with another employer.
