7 Steps as set out by DHE to becoming an Artisan explained.

Step 1: Career Development

"Identity can be construed as predominantly an internal aspect linked to an individual’s perception and description of him- or herself" [6]. Social identity on the other hand "can be defined as a person’s knowledge that he or she belongs to a social category or group" [6]. The negativity surrounding artisanal careers can be largely attributed to the perceptions of individuals belonging to the artisanal group.

Step 2: Learner Contracting

The majority of artisan training and learning happens in the workplace. It is in the workplace that apprentices get to apply the theory and practice they have acquired at the SDP. The delivery of the A21 apprenticeship will incorporate the dual system principles applied within the South African context incorporating lessons from the DSAP and DSPP.

Step 3: Knowledge, Practical and Workplace Training

The A21 apprenticeship requires an integrated approach to apprenticeships. This process requires the time between knowledge, practical learning and workplace leaning for apprentices to be as short as possible. The rationale is that more learning is achieved in the workplace when the knowledge and practical components are still "fresh" in the

Step 4: Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning

The White Paper for Post School Education and Training states “It is close to twenty years since South Africa discarded the apartheid regime and replaced it with a democratically elected government. Much has been achieved since then, but much remains to be done to rid our country of the injustices of its colonial and apartheid past.

Step 5: Trade Testing

All Trade Testing (External Integrated Summative Assessment) in South Africa is regulated in terms of the provisions of the National Trade Test Regulations issued under Section 26D(5) of the Skills Development Amendment. The National Trade Test Regulations are applicable to all Trade Test Centres whether they are operated by private, government

Step 6: Certification

Prior to the early 1980s, South Africa had a single national artisan certification system controlled from the Centre of Trade Testing or COTT (today known as INDLELA) that issued a “red seal certificate under the auspices of the National Department of Manpower (today Department of Labour). With the advent of firstly the Industry Training Boards from 1981 as

Step 7: Quality Assurance

The statutory responsibility for the quality assurance of the occupational qualifications in relation to trades lies with the QCTO. This includes the occupational trade curricula developed, those in the development pipeline, and their implementation. It, therefore, follows that QCTO policy will therefore guide the implementation of the quality.

https://nadsc.dhet.gov.za/site/7-Steps%20to%20becoming%20an%20Artisan