Apprenticeships and learnerships give an employer a partly subsidised route to a qualified person who has learned on your equipment and in your systems. In sectors where certification is what allows work to be signed off, growing your own artisan is frequently cheaper and more reliable than competing for scarce qualified staff.
The funding is real and so is the obligation, and programmes fail when employers take the first without the second.
What an employer gains
A person trained to your standards who already knows your customers and equipment, at subsidised cost, with a far higher retention rate than an external hire because the relationship started with an investment in them.
In trades where a qualified artisan must sign off work, having your own removes a dependency that limits what you can take on.
How the funding works
Employers above the payroll threshold pay a skills development levy, and part of it is recoverable through the relevant sector authority by registering and submitting a workplace skills plan and annual training report.
Learnerships also carry a tax allowance for the employer, claimed through the normal tax return. Confirm the current allowance with the South African Revenue Service, and the qualifications framework with the Department of Higher Education and Training.
It also scores
Skills development is a B-BBEE scorecard element and a priority one for larger companies, which means training spend on black employees has commercial value beyond the capability it builds.
For a small supplier, that scoring can be what makes you eligible for corporate contracts that weight it, so the benefit compounds beyond the workshop.
What the employer must actually provide
Genuine supervision by someone qualified, exposure to the full range of work the qualification requires, and time for the theoretical component. An apprentice used as cheap labour learns nothing and fails the assessment.
Employment obligations apply in full: written particulars, correct pay, records and UIF, as set out by the Department of Employment and Labour. Keep training records, since they support both the grant claim and the scorecard.
Frequently asked questions
Why take on an apprentice rather than hire?
You get a person trained to your standards on your equipment at subsidised cost, with better retention than an external hire.
How is it funded?
Through recoverable skills development levy grants via your sector authority, plus a tax allowance for learnerships.
Does it help with B-BBEE?
Yes. Skills development is a scorecard element and a priority one for larger companies, which has commercial value for suppliers.
What must the employer provide?
Genuine supervision, exposure to the full scope of work required by the qualification, and time for theory.
Do normal employment obligations apply?
Fully. Written particulars, correct pay, accurate records and UIF all apply, and training records should be kept.
Further reading
Originally published in May 2018. Updated September 2026 to explain what apprenticeships offer an employer rather than reporting one investment.
