Apply safety, environmental and management principles within an industrial engineering environment.

Apply principles of occupational health and safety, risk management, accident and loss prevention, environmental management and engineering management to support the safe, compliant and effective operation of plant and machinery. This includes the application of safety management systems, HIRA and baseline risk assessment, pollution control, fire protection and relevant management principles.

Apply thermodynamic principles to the operation and performance of industrial plant and equipment.

Analyse and solve practical problems involving heat, work, energy and thermodynamic processes associated with plant equipment, including steam generators and ancillary equipment, compressors, fans, heat transfer, fuels and combustion.

Apply electrical engineering principles to industrial electrical machines, installations and power systems.

Analyse the operating principles, characteristics, performance, protection and application of electrical equipment and systems, including AC and DC machines, generators, motors, transformers, three-phase systems, transmission and distribution, cables, circuit protection, earthing and electrical installations.

Apply fluid mechanics principles to industrial fluid systems and hydraulic equipment.

Analyse fluid behaviour and solve practical engineering problems involving pumps, pipelines, friction losses, system and pump characteristic curves, flow measurement, hydraulic systems and the transportation of liquids and materials through pipelines.

Apply mechanical principles to the operation, performance and safe use of machines and mechanical systems

Analyse the operation and performance of mechanical systems and machinery, including conveyors, lifts and elevators, cranes and lifting equipment, drives, gearing, bearings, motion, vibration and lubrication, with emphasis on their practical industrial application.

Apply strength of materials and structural principles to engineering components and structures

Analyse stresses, strains, loading and deformation in engineering components and structures, including beams, columns and struts, shafts, pressure vessels, springs, ropes, foundations and structural elements, and apply material properties and failure principles to practical engineering problems.

Blended Exam Preparation Programme

Pass the GCC Factories Plant Engineering Exam the first time

An online accredited sixteen (16) week programme that will help you easily prepare, feel less anxious, and gain confidence for the upcoming GCC Factories plant engineering exam.

Register Now

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Upcoming start dates

Semester 1 - 2 Feb 2027

Semester 2 - 6 July 2027

Trusted by engineering teams throughout Southern Africa

Course Overview

Learn how the GCC Factories program will prepare you for the exam.

The Competent Person

General Machinery Regulation 2(1) requires South African employers to appoint a competent person to supervise machinery. The competent person must have a GCC Factories where the sum of the power generated by machinery is above 3000 kW or above 10000 kVA in the case the machinery is used for electricity distribution.

What is the GMR 2.1?

The GCC Factories can advance your career.

Watch a short video on how the GCC Factories Programme can help you gain the clarity and confidence that can help you advance your engineering career.

Learning Outcomes

Go beyond knowing the exam content. Know how to answer plant engineering exam questions and practical application of basic industrial principles.

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Programme

16 Weeks. 10 classes. One Practical Journey.

50 hours / 5 CPD: The GCC Factories Plant Engineering Programme is delivered over sixteen weeks through a blended approach that includes ten live classes (fortnightly, 6 PM - 9 PM), study material, on-demand videos, workbooks, quiz assessments, assignments, and one-on-one consultation.

Built for busy GCC Factories Candidates. The programme gives you structure and discussion; the self-paced component helps you consolidate and apply it.

Week 1 - 4

Safety and Applied Thermodynamics

We set the foundation by tackling safety, environment, and management which may amount to at least 20% of the exam. This is followed by focus on Applied Thermodynamics which may amount to at least 20% of the exam.

Week 5 - 8

Electrical Technology & Rotating Equipment

We then spend considerable effort on Electrical Technology which amounts to at least 30% of the exam. We touch on pumps, fans, and compressors which may amount to about 20% of the exam.

Week 9 - 12

Theory of Machines & Strength of Materials

We finish off our facilitator led live sessions with conveyors, belt drives, beams, columns, & other essential mechanical content. These may amount to about 20% of the exam.

Week 13 - 16

Match exam pace, close gaps, Revision

The last four weeks of the programme is dedicated to closing the identified gaps. We then have a dedicated five day revision to ensure you pass the first time!

Who should attend

For GCC Factories Candidates moving into responsibility.

This programme is valuable for maintenance and operations engineers, technologists, technicians, and artisans with a GCC Factories acceptance letter to write the exams from the Department of Employment and Labour.

GCC Factories Mechanical Candidates

GCC Factories Electrical Candidates

Engineers who may be eligible to write exams

Technologists who may be eligible to write exams

Technicians who may be eligible to write exams

Artisans who may be eligible to write exams

Industries & Employers needing GCC Factories

All employers with machinery on their premises, and those in industries that must comply with the OHS Act, must appoint a competent person to supervise machinery. This competent person must have GCC Factories certification where the sum of the power generated by machinery is above 3000 kW or 10000 kVA when the machinery is used for electricity generation.

Typical industries include:

Consumer goods: FMCG, Tobacco, Beverages, and Distilleries
Energy: Oil, Gas, Energy, and Utilities
Manufacturing: Chemicals, Automotive, Food Production, Glass, Ceramics, Concrete, Packaging, Plastics, and Paper

Testimonial

"The Palucraft GCC Factories Plant Engineering Exam Preparation book was helpful in enabling me to pass the Plant Knowledge exam after my first attempt. It has a lot of content and practice exams for adequate preparation."

- Kabelo Mashabane

The Facilitators

Our GCC Factories Plant Engineering Programme is facilitated by experienced engineering professionals with strong technical knowledge and practical industry experience. Our facilitators understand the challenges of preparing for the GCC Factories examinations and are skilled at simplifying complex engineering principles, calculations and concepts into practical, easy-to-understand explanations.

Beyond covering engineering theory, our facilitators focus on developing candidates’ ability to apply their knowledge to GCC-style examination questions. Through worked examples, calculations, past examination questions and guided problem-solving, candidates are supported in developing the technical reasoning, problem-solving approach and exam technique required to confidently tackle Plant Engineering examination questions.

GCC Factories Candidate development

Maintenance & operations

Systems approach to exam prep

What's included?

Programme starts every year in February and July.

Here is what is included:

5 ECSA CPD Credits

5 days live online group classes (worth +R5000)

5 days pre-exam revision classes (worth +R5000)

+40 hours on-demand video (worth +R6000)

Textbooks (worth +R2000)

One-on-one consultation (worth +R3500)

Digital workbook and resources (worth +R1000)

Structured and guided LMS content

12 months LMS access

12 months email support

Certificate of Attendance

The Pricing

A structured preparation journey designed to reduce exam anxiety and help you pass on the first attempt.

Investment:

R22,500.00

R10,695.00

You will learn:

Exam context & preparation strategy for success
Important exam content
How to answer exam questions
Role of the GMR 2.1 in assuring safety & compliance

Career prospects after getting the GCC Factories:

Engineering manager
Maintenance manager
GMR 2.1 Legal appointment (Engineer in Charge)
Maintenance or plant engineer

How to Enroll?

You can register as an individual or for multiple employees. Complete the form below to receive the course brochure with the registration form. One of our consultants will be in touch to help you finalise registration.

Less Disruption

Online classes, with flexible reinforcement through various learning methods (audio-visual, textbooks, one-on-one, email).

National access

Online class attendance and digital delivery of content makes it easier to prepare for the exam anywhere in the world.

Procurement ready

An accredited programme enabling claiming of BBBEE skills development expense. We are compliant with SARS, CIPC, BBBEE Level 1, and COIDA, amongst others.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Week 1 - Orientation and safety managementWeek 2 - Steam generators (Class 1)Week 3 - Practice steam generator questionsWeek 4 - Electrical Technology (Class 2)Week 5 - Practice electrical technology questionsWeek 6 - Rotating equipment (Class 3)Week 7 - Practice rotating equipment questionsWeek 8 - Theory of Machines (Class 4)Week 9 - Practice theory of machines questionsWeek 10 - Strength of materials (Class 5)Week 11 - Practice strength of materials questionsWeek 12 - Master questions 1 and 3 (applied thermodynamics and safety management)Week 13 - Master question 2 (electrical technology)Week 14 - Pre-exam revision (Five classes, Monday to Friday)Week 15 - Practice examsWeek 16 - Practice examsClass times: 6 PM to 9 PM, usually on TuesdaysTen (10) classes in totalNOTE: The schedule is subject to change.
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Some of the topics that will be covered:Safety and managementSafety management system (ISO 45001)Electricity basicsAlternators and generatorsTransformersTransmission linesInduction motorsSynchronous motorsDirect current motors Power factor correctionFault currentSteam generators (boilers)CompressorsFansPumps and pipelinesStrength of materialsPassenger conveyorsMaterial conveyorsRail and road traction Vehicle dynamics
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The GCC Factories Plant Engineering Exam Programme is delivered over 16 weeks and consists of: Five (5) live online classes aimed at delivering the theory content and how to deal with exam-type questions. Five (5) revision classes aimed at coaching students on answering exam-type questions. There is a total of ten (10) classes that the student will have to attend. The classes are conducted via Teams Webinar from 6 PM to 9 PM, as per the schedule. Benefits: Prepare for the GCC Factories Exams anywhere in South Africa and the world Reduce the traveling risk and time Study in the comfort of your home or office Save on traveling, accommodation, and living out costs Follow a realistic study plan
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The online short courses offered by Palucraft results in a certificate of completion issued by Palucraft. In line with the regulations of the CHE (Council on Higher Education) the short courses are not aligned to, or allocated NQF levels or credits as the short courses do not lead to full qualifications. The NQF system is important from an articulation standpoint (moving from one qualification to another). The short courses are designed to offer practical, workplace-relevant skills and not as a vehicle for articulation into qualifications.
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If the employer pays for his/her employees, they can claim the skills development expenditure in accordance with the Learning Programme Matrix guidelines.Course is a Category F (informal training) aimed at continued professional development and a certificate of attendance will be issued. The employer can claim 25% of the value of the training against the skills development expenditure.Palucraft has BBBEE Level 1 recognision level. The recognition spend will be 135% towards the employer's BBBEE scorecard.
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