FAQ

Attending Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses offer several benefits:

• Skill Enhancement: CPD helps you develop new skills and improve existing ones, ensuring you stay current with industry trends and advancements, making you more effective in your role.
• Career Advancement: Attending CPD courses can enhance your qualifications, boost your confidence and increase your chances of career progression, making you more competitive in the job market and potentially leading to promotions or new job opportunities. Keep in mind that it's not ideal to go into an interview and start rambling when asked a technical question.
• Staying Updated: It ensures you stay current with industry trends and changes, which is crucial in today's fast-paced work environment.
• Networking Opportunities: CPD activities often provide opportunities to network with other professionals in your field, fostering connections that can lead to collaborations or job referrals.
• Knowledge Application: CPD courses often focus on practical skills and knowledge that can be directly applied in the workplace, improving overall job performance. It can also equip you to tackle technical examinations such as the GCC and installation rules exams effectively.
• Adaptability: In rapidly changing industries, CPD courses equip professionals with the ability to adapt to new technologies and methodologies, keeping them relevant in their field
• Professional Recognition: Many professional bodies require CPD, and it is often seen as a mark of professionalism. For example, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) requires registered practitioners to accumulate at least 25 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits over a five-year cycle. This is a requirement for renewing their registration.

Requirements

• At least 3 credits per year in two of the three categories 
• At least 5 credits in Category 1: Developmental Activities per cycle 
• A minimum of 25 credits over a five-year cycle 

Categories 

• Category 1: Developmental activities
• Category 2: Work-based activities, such as engineering work or mentoring
• Category 3: Individual activities

Overall, CPD is a proactive way to manage your career development and stay competitive in your field. Have you considered any specific CPD courses?

GCC (Government Certificate of Competency) is a certification for mechanical or electrical engineers working in factory or mining industries in South Africa. It is issued by the Chief Inspector from the Department of Employment and Labour for factory engineers, and by the Department of Mineral Resources for mining engineers.

The GCC certification ensures that these engineers possess the necessary competencies and technical knowledge to oversee the safe operation of machinery, equipment, and processes in their respective industrial settings. It is an important regulatory requirement that helps maintain high standards of occupational health and safety.

The GCC is sometimes informally referred to as the "Government Ticket" within the engineering community in South Africa. Obtaining this certification is a crucial milestone for engineers seeking to work in the factory or mining sectors in the country.

• A BSc degree in Electrical Engineering - (Heavy Current)
• A BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering
• B Tech degree in Electrical (Heavy Current) Engineering
• B Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Semester or “S” courses and diploma complete with relevant practical experience towards obtaining a qualification, i.e., P1 and P2
• An Electrical, Fitter and Turner or Electro/mechanical trade and a N6 diploma, acceptable trades and experience. All relevant subjects must be passed at 50% and above

Yes, but the qualification must be evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to determine if there are any additional subjects that need to be passed in order to meet the acceptance requirements. A copy of the evaluation, along with a certified copy of the degree, diploma, or certificate, must be submitted with the application for acceptance.

For Electrical Engineering, you’ll need the following 19 subjects:

Control System N6

Engineering Drawing N3

Electrotechnics N4, N5, N6

Industrial Electronics N4, N5, N6

Engineering Science N4,

Mechanotechnics N4, N5, N6

Supervisory Management N4, N5, N6

Mathematics N4

Power Machines N5, N6

Strengths of materials and structures N5

For Mechanical Engineering, you’ll need the following 18 subjects:

Engineering Drawing N3

Electrotechnics N4 & N5

Industrial Electronics N4

Engineering Science N4

Mechanotechnics N4, N5, N6

Supervisory Management N4, N5, N6

Mathematics N4

Power Machines N5, N6

Strengths of materials and structures N5, N6

Fluid Mechanics N5, N6

You must pass all the prescribed subjects with a minimum of 50% per subject.

For Electrical Engineering, you’ll need a minimum of the following 19 subjects:

Year 1

1 Communication and Computer Skills

2 Digital Systems

3 Electrical Engineering

4 Electronics

5 Mathematics

6 Mechanical Engineering Drawing

7 Mechanical Technology

8 Mechanics 1

Year 2

9 Electrical Engineering

10 Electrical Machines

11 Electronics

12 Mathematics

13 Mechanical Technology

14 Power Electronics

15 Strength of Materials

Year 3

16 Applied Strength of Materials

17 Electrical Engineering

18 Mechanical Technology

19 Strength of Materials

CONVERSION

You have to do the following year 3 subjects

1 Electrical Distribution

2 Electrical Machines

3 Electrical Protection

4 Power Electronics

5 Project Design

June and November

Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in collaboration with the Commission of Examiners of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Labour (DoL).

You have to apply to the DMR for your training through your employer