GCC Factories Subject Requirements for Technician and Technologists (Route 2) Applicants
- Nkululeko Thusini
- 3 days ago
- 15 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Introduction
To obtain the GCC Factories, you need to write and pass the GCC Factories plant engineering and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS Act) exams. To write the GCC Factories exams, you need to meet the subject, experience, and general requirements.
The GCC Factories subject requirements differ depending on your undergraduate mechanical or electrical engineering qualification. The Department of Employment and Labour's (DEL) Commission of Examiners offers three main routes for eligibility to write the GCC Factories exams:
In this post, I will provide a complete guide to the GCC Factories subject requirements for Technicians & Technologists (Route 2) seeking acceptance as candidates eligible to write the GCC Factories exams.
In the context of this post and the GCC Factories, a Technician is someone with a National Diploma (S modules), typically at NQF6, in mechanical or electrical engineering from a University of Technology (i.e., Technikon).
A Technologist is someone who has completed a post-graduate qualification, such as the BTech or Advanced Diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering, typically at NQF 7. Their undergraduate qualification is a National Diploma (S modules) in mechanical or electrical engineering from a University of Technology (i.e., Technikon). Another Technologist path, introduced recently, is through the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech), typically at NQF 7.
There are additional nuances to this context that will be unpacked in this post.
If you do not have a National Diploma (S modules) or BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering from Technikon, you need to view these other guidelines:
[Route 1] - GCC Factories subject requirements for Engineers
[Route 3] - GCC Factories subject requirements for Artisans
[Foreign] - GCC Factories subject requirements for Foreign mechanical or electrical engineering qualifications
[Other] - GCC Factories subject requirements for engineering qualifications other than mechanical or electrical engineering (e.g., chemical, industrial, etc.)
This post is specifically for GCC Factories applicants who have the National Diploma (S modules) or BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering (Route 2).
Now, let's unpack the GCC Factories subject requirements for Technicians and Technologists (Route 2) applicants; henceforth, I will refer to them as the Technician (Route 2) applicant.
What are the GCC Factories Subject Requirements for Technicians?
In short, the Technician (Route 2) applicant must meet the following "GCC Factories subject" requirements:
Must have a National Diploma or BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering qualification.
The qualification's curriculum must be structured such that it covers the "electrical and mechanical courses according to the requirements of the plant engineering syllabus" in Annexure IV(a).
All the subjects from the National Diploma must be passed with at least 50%.
Now let's unpack these three requirements and provide further explanation.
Qualification: Which electrical and mechanical engineering qualifications are suitable for Technician (Route 2) applicants?
According to the GCC Factories rules, Technician (Route 2) applicants need to have a "National Higher Diploma (T4) or National Diploma (S4) in mechanical or electrical engineering" to be accepted as GCC Factories exam candidates. As you will see later on, the following mechanical and electrical engineering qualifications are suitable for Technician (Route 2) applicants:
National Higher Diploma (T modules)
National Diploma (S Modules)
Diploma ("New" qualification replacing the National Diploma)
Bachelor's of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) ("New" qualification replacing the National Diploma)
Note: Some Technikons are transitioning to BEngTech while others are transitioning to Diploma to replace the National Diploma (S Modules).
The GCC Factories rules do not explicitly state that the National Diploma must be "recognised" by the Commission of Examiners. However, in general, the Commission of Examiners requires the National diploma to meet the following requirements:
Registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and
Obtained from a recognised South African University of Technology (Technikon),
The newer/recent qualifications can be found on the SAQA website (https://regqs.saqa.org.za/search.php?cat=qual), but older or phased-out ones are a bit tricky to find, but not impossible. If you have the older or phased-out qualifications, you will need to confirm with the Technikon or contact the Council for Higher Education (CHE).
The SAQA website search also provides information on which institutions are accredited to offer the respective qualifications, so that is a good starting point when confirming whether the institution is "recognised". In general, a Technikon is "recognised" if it is registered with the DHET, and you can search for it on the DHET website (https://www.dhet.gov.za/SitePages/UniversitiesinSA.aspx).
DHET-accredited and CHE-accredited Private Higher Education Institution offering the mechanical and electrical engineering Diplomas, National Diplomas, and BEngTech may also be accepted by the DEL Commission of Examiners.
ECSA E-20-PN provides the accredited Diplomas and National Diplomas with the institutions accredited:
In short, the popular and "safe" Technikons which offer mechanical and electrical Diplomas, National Diplomas, and BEngTechs that may allow consideration as GCC Factories candidates include the following:
Vaal University of Technology (VUT)
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
University of South Africa (UNISA)
University of Johannesburg (UJ)
Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT)
Durban University of Technology (DUT)
Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
The postgraduate qualifications that lead candidates to transition from technician to technologist also fall under the Route 2 applicants, and these include:
Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in mechanical or electrical engineering
Advanced Diploma ("New" qualification replacing the BTech) in mechanical or electrical engineering
Having a postgraduate qualification, such as a BTech or an Advanced Diploma, has minimal or no impact on the GCC Factories subject and qualification requirements.
Now, let's explain the different mechanical and electrical engineering qualifications.
3.1. Phasing out of National Higher Diploma (T4)
It is important to note that the GCC Factories information brochure was last revised in January 2007, and several changes from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) have since been implemented, which affect the GCC Factories qualification and subject requirements.
The National Higher Diploma (T1 to T4) was the old Technikon diploma, which was phased out years ago (somewhere around 2010). It was replaced by the National Diploma, which we know today as the S diploma or S modules.
Applicants who have the old National Higher Diploma (T modules or T diploma) in mechanical or electrical engineering can still apply using it, provided they meet the GCC Factories subject requirements, which we will discuss shortly, and of course, the general and experience requirements.
3.2. Changes from a two-year to a three-year National Diploma
The National Diploma (S modules) used to be a two-year program (S1 to S4) for the theoretical modules, but has since been changed to a three-year program (S1 to S6).
Applicants who have the old two-year National Diploma (S modules) in mechanical or electrical engineering can still apply using it, provided they meet the GCC Factories subject requirements, which we will discuss shortly, and of course, the general and experience requirements.
Likewise, the three-year National Diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering can also be used for the GCC Factories application.
3.3. Transition of National Diploma to Diploma
Several Universities of Technology (Technikons) (e.g., UNISA, VUT) have announced the transition from the National Diploma (the three-year diploma under section 3.2) to the new Diploma in mechanical and electrical engineering.
Applicants who have the "old" National Diploma (the three-year diploma under section 3.2) in mechanical or electrical engineering can still apply using it, provided they meet the GCC Factories subject requirements, which we will discuss shortly, and of course, the general and experience requirements. Likewise, the "new" Diploma in mechanical and electrical engineering is acceptable for the GCC Factories.
There are no significant changes in the "new" Diploma in mechanical/electrical engineering, and thus it is eligible to apply for the GCC Factories, despite the missing GCC Factories rule updates from the DEL.
A comparison between the "new" Diploma and "old" National Diploma indicates that most changes are "cosmetic" from a GCC Factories point of view since the curriculum ('subjects') remained the same, changed names, or merged:
3.4. Transition of National Diploma to BEngTech
Some of the Technikons (e.g., UJ, DUT, TUT, etc.) have instead opted to replace the National Diploma (NQF 6) with the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) (NQF 7). The BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering is an acceptable qualification for Route 2 applicants.
From a GCC Factories subject's point of view, the changes introduced in the BEngTech curriculum are "cosmetic" since the curriculum ('subjects') remained the same, changed names, or merged. Furthermore, the curriculum of the BEngTech is similar to the Diploma from a GCC Factories subject's point of view. Of course, there are subtle differences, such as the names of subjects and credit allocation, which are neither here nor there from the GCC Factories subject's perspective.
Qualification Curriculum ("Subjects"): What does the Commission of Examiners say about the GCC Factories subject requirements for Technicians (Route 2) applicants?
The GCC Factories rules stipulate that:
Pass all subjects by at least 50%: "The completion of such course shall include passing all the subjects with a mark of at least 50%." It is important to note that 'course' means 'qualification' in the context of DHET and SAQA. And 'subject' means 'modules' or 'curriculum'. The pass mark for the newer National Diploma is already 50%, and therefore, this requirement applies only to the older T and S diplomas, which had 40% pass mark.
Qualification curriculum must cover Annexure IV(a) "plant engineering syllabus". 'Syllabus' means 'Subjects', 'modules' or 'curriculum'.
4.1. GCC Factories subjects (Annexure IV(a) and II perspective)
The first thing that the GCC Factories rules stipulate is that the Route 2 applicant's "course" (i.e., qualification curriculum) must be structured to cover the Annexure IV(a) "syllabus" (i.e., subjects). So, when we are talking about the GCC Factories subjects, we are, in part, referring to the Annexure IV(a) plant engineering subjects.
Reading the GCC Factories information brochure may be a bit confusing because Annexure IV(a) is used in different contexts. The context now concerns the Route 2 plant engineering subjects that must be included in the mechanical or electrical "course" (i.e., the qualification).
Annexure IV(a) requires a Route 2 applicant's electrical or mechanical qualification (i.e., National Diploma, Diploma, BEngTech) to cover the following subjects:
Safety and management
Electrical technology
Applied thermodynamics
Structures and strength of materials
Theory of machines
Fluid mechanics
Environmental
Annexure IV(a) further breaks down each subject into the topics or content that needs to be covered from the plant engineering subjects. As you will see, the Technikon's may use different wording for the subjects ("modules" or "curriculum") from what is provided in Annexure IV(a).
Annexure IV(a), read in isolation, can be confusing in determining the GCC Factories subjects for Technicians (Route 2) applicants. For instance, we know that the DEL's Commission of Examiners requires candidates to have completed engineering drawing and mathematics, but there is no mention of these in Annexure IV(a).
The best way to really determine the GCC Factories subject requirements for Route 2 is to read Annexure II and Annexure IV(a) together. Yes, the GCC Factories information brochure does not make an explicit reference to Annexure II, but as you will see shortly, the Commission of Examiners does, in fact, use Annexure II. Furthermore, the Technikons use Annexure II to "structure a curriculum to cover the electrical and mechanical course according to the requirements of the plant engineering syllabus (Annexure IV(a))" as required by the DEL.
At this point, we can establish from Annexure II that electrical (E) and mechanical (M) candidates must meet different minimum GCC Factory subject requirements. We can also see that Annexure II sufficiently covers Annexure IV(a) GCC Factories subjects, with the exception of safety, management, and environment subjects, which we must ensure that the qualification includes.
In essence, when applying for the GCC Factories, you apply as a mechanical or electrical candidate. Once you pass the GCC Factories plant engineering and OHS Act exams, the DEL Chief Inspector will issue you the Certificate of Competency as Mechanical or Electrical, depending on your initial application preference. The initial application preference depends on whether you have a mechanical or electrical engineering qualification.
Now, let us look it the GCC Factories subject requirements for mechanical and electrical separately.
4.2. Mechanical Candidates: What are the GCC Factories subjects for Technicians (Route 2) applying with a National Diploma or BEngTech in mechanical engineering?
The minimum GCC Factories subjects for Technicians (Route 2) applying with a National Diploma (or Diploma) or BEngTech in mechanical engineering as their base qualification is as follows:
Electrical Engineering (T1, S1, I level)
Engineering Mathematics (T1, S1, I level)
Engineering Mechanics (T1, S1, I level)
Machine Drawings or Engineering Drawing (T1, S1, I level)
Electro-technology (T3, S3, or III level)
Applied Thermodynamics (T4, S4, or IV level)
Fluid Mechanics (T4, S4, or IV level)
Mechanics of Machines (T4, S4, or IV level)
Strength of Materials (T4, S4, or IV level)
The above are the minimum GCC Factories subject for Technicians (Route 2) mechanical engineering applicants. It's important to note that:
They exclude the prerequisite subjects required to take the subject. This means that you must ensure you review the Technikon's entry requirements.
They assume that the candidate is doing a full National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech in mechanical engineering, which ordinarily covers the other Annexure IV(a) GCC Factories subjects.
Now, let's make a practical example using the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Diploma in Electrical Engineering (DI0841)
The standard VUT Mechanical Engineering curriculum is as follows:
Now, let's map in the Annexure IV(a) and Annexure II subjects below. You will notice that the qualification is missing Electro-technology at T3/S3/III level (year two module), which can be covered by completing electrical engineering subjects such as Industrial Electronics, Electrotechnics (or Electrical Machines), and Control Systems (or Digital Systems).
The above principle and analysis apply to BEngTech in Mechanical Engineering. The important thing is to match the Annexure II and the topics from the Annexure IV(a) subjects to the qualification curriculum. The naming conversion for BEngTech may differ slightly.
As I stated earlier, the BTech, Advanced Diploma, and BEngTech (honours) have little influence on the GCC Factories application. The content of these postgraduate qualifications covers advanced topics related to stress analysis, turbomachinery, fluids, refrigeration, and automatic control.
The other determining factor will be that you must meet the GCC Factories general and experience requirements. So, before submitting your application, make sure that you review and meet the general and experience requirements.
4.3. Mechanical Candidates: What if I did Mechatronics or other engineering qualifications, such as chemical and industrial?
The DEL Commission of Examiners may consider your application once you have covered the mechanical engineering GCC Factories subject requirements discussed in section 4.2 of this post. So, go through section 4.2 to do a self-evaluation, and if in doubt, submit your application to the DEL.
The other determining factor will be that you must meet the GCC Factories general and experience requirements. So, before submitting your application, make sure that you review and meet the general and experience requirements.
4.4. Electrical Candidates: What are the GCC Factories subjects for Technicians (Route 2) applying with a National Diploma or BEngTech in electrical engineering?
The minimum GCC Factories subjects for Technicians (Route 2) applying with a National Diploma (or Diploma) or BEngTech in electrical engineering as their base qualification is as follows:
Electrical Engineering (T1, S1, I level)
Engineering Mathematics (T1, S1, I level)
Engineering Mechanics (T1, S1, I level)
Machine Drawings or Engineering Drawing (T1, S1, I level)
Electronics (T2, S2, or II level)
Mechanical Technology (T3, S3, or III level)
Industrial Electronics (T3, S3, or III level)
Strength of Materials (T4, S4, or IV level)
Electrical Engineering (heavy current or power engineering) (T4, S4, or IV level)
Electrical Machines (T4, S4, or IV level)
The above are the minimum GCC Factories subject for Technicians (Route 2) electrical engineering applicants. It's important to note that:
They exclude the prerequisite subjects required to take the subject. This means that you must ensure you review the Technikon's entry requirements.
They assume that the candidate is doing a full National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech in electrical engineering (heavy current or power engineering), which ordinarily covers the other Annexure IV(a) GCC Factories subjects.
Now, let's make a practical example using the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Diploma in Electrical Engineering: Power Engineering (DI0824):
The standard VUT Electrical Engineering (Power Engineering) curriculum is as follows:
Now, let's map in the Annexure IV(a) and Annexure II subjects below. You will notice that the qualification is missing engineering drawing, industrial electronics, mechanics, mechanical engineering technology, and strength of materials.
From Annexure II and IV(a), we established that full applied thermodynamics and fluid dynamics are not required for electrical engineering applicants. The electrical engineering applicant must cover some topics from these two subjects, which are covered in part in other subjects such as Mechanical Technology, Energy Management, and Physics.
Based on this analysis, we can establish, from a VUT Electrical Engineering Diploma perspective, that the complete list of minimum GCC Factories subjects is as follows:
ICT Skills I
Computing Applications II
Mathematics I
Mathematics II
Industrial Electronics II
Power Electronics III
Electronics I
Electronics II
Mechanics I
Mechanical Engineering Drawing I
Mechanical Technology I
Mechanical Technology II
Mechanical Technology III
Power Systems II
Power Systems III
Electrical Engineering I
Electrical Engineering II
Electrical Engineering III
Electrical Machines II
Electrical Machines III
Electrical Protection III
Digital Systems I
Applied Communication Skills 1.1
Applied Communication Skills 1.2
Applied Communication Skills 2.1
Applied Communication Skills 2.2
Electrical Transmission III (Power)
Strength of Materials II
Strength of Materials III
The above principle and analysis apply to BEngTech in Electrical Engineering. The important thing is to match the Annexure II and the topics from the Annexure IV(a) subjects to the qualification curriculum. The naming conversion for BEngTech may differ slightly.
As I stated earlier, the BTech, Advanced Diploma, and BEngTech (honours) have little influence on the GCC Factories application. The content of these postgraduate qualifications covers advanced topics in specialisations such as power engineering, energy management, and computer engineering.
The other determining factor will be that you must meet the GCC Factories general and experience requirements. So, before submitting your application, make sure that you review and meet the general and experience requirements.
4.5. Electrical Candidates: What if I did Electronics Engineering?
The DEL Commission of Examiners may consider your application once you have covered the electrical engineering GCC Factories subject requirements discussed in section 4.4 of this post. So, go through section 4.4 to do a self-evaluation, and if in doubt, submit your application to the DEL.
The other determining factor will be that you must meet the GCC Factories general and experience requirements. So, before submitting your application, make sure that you review and meet the general and experience requirements.
What if I have a mechanical or electrical national diploma from another country?
The mechanical or electrical engineering national diploma, diploma, or BEngTech from a country other than South Africa is classified as a "foreign" qualification.
In this case, obtain a SAQA Certificate of Evaluation (SCoE):
Visit https://saqa.org.za/
Navigate to the 'Services' tab, scroll to 'Evaluation of foreign qualification', and click 'Apply for an Evaluation'
The SCoE will stipulate the South African equivalent qualification and NQF level for your foreign qualification. You will fall under the Technician (Route 2) applicant if the SCoE explicitly stipulates that your foreign qualification is a National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering at NQF 6 for a diploma and NQF 7 for a BEngTech.
If that's the case, then follow the Technician (Route 2) applicant guidelines. Alternatively:
Follow the Engineer (Route 1) applicant guidelines if the SCoE classified your qualification as a NQF 8 (Degree).
Follow the Artisan (Route 3) applicant guidelines if the SCoE classified your qualification as a Technical Diploma at NQF 6.
Can I meet the GCC Factories subject requirements with a diploma, national diploma, or BEngTech in civil engineering?
No. Civil engineering graduates are unlikely to be working in an operations and maintenance environment, and to meet the GCC Factories experience requirements. Furthermore, the GCC Factories subject requirements gap is too wide. Closing the gap may feel like you are doing a new qualification altogether.
Your options:
Option 1: Forget about the GCC Factories and focus on certification relevant to the civil engineering field, such as ECSA professional registration.
Option 2: Complete a mechanical or electrical engineering qualification and ensure that you work in a workplace that will make you meet the GCC Factories experience requirements.
Can I meet the GCC Factories subject requirements with a diploma, national diploma, or BEngTech in mining engineering?
No. The mining engineering diploma does not sufficiently cover the GCC Factories subject requirements for any of the three routes. Furthermore, the scope of experience for mining engineers will make it difficult to meet the GCC Factories experience requirements, because experience gained from a workplace governed by the Mine Health and Safety Act is not eligible for the GCC Factories.
Your options:
Option 1: Forget about the GCC Factories and focus on the Mine Manager Certificate of Competency (MMCC), Mine Overseer Certificate of Competency, and/or Mine Blaster Certificate of Competency.
Option 2: Complete a mechanical or electrical engineering qualification and ensure that you work in a workplace that will make you meet the GCC Factories experience requirements.
Conclusion
Technician (Route 2) applicants need to have a National Higher Diploma, National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech in mechanical or electrical engineering recognised by the Commission of Examiners. The qualification's curriculum must cover the plant engineering subjects stipulated in Annexure IV(a) of the GCC Factories information brochure. The plant engineering subjects are referred to as the GCC Factories subjects.
In general, the mechanical engineering National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech meets most of the GCC Factories subject requirements, except for the Electrical Engineering subjects that still need to be completed (e.g., Industrial Electronics, Electrotechnics (or Electrical Machines), and Control Systems (or Digital Systems)).
In general, the electrical engineering National Diploma, Diploma, or BEngTech meets some of the GCC Factories subject requirements, with significant gaps in the mechanical engineering subjects as required by Annexure IV(a) and II. The noticeable missing GCC Factories subjects for electrical engineering applicants are Theory of Machines and Strength of Materials.
Next Steps
Here are your next steps:
[GCC Factories Legal Context] - Review the GCC Factories legal context if you are still confused about what the GCC Factories is all about.
[GCC Factories Subject Guidelines] - Review the GCC Factories subject requirements for the different routes.
[GCC Factories Experience Guidelines] - Review GCC Factories Experience requirements if you meet GCC Factories subject requirements.
[GCC Factories Application Guidelines] - Review the GCC Factories application guidelines to start and submit your application to the Department of Employment and Labour Commission of Examiners.
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[Join GCC Factories Plant Engineering Exam Preparation Programme] - 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.
[Join GCC Factories OHS Act Exam Preparation Programme] - An online accredited sixteen (16) week programme that will help you easily prepare, feel less anxious, and gain confidence for the upcoming GCC Factories OHS Act exam.
[Understanding and Fulfilling the Role of the GMR 2(1)] - Gain the knowledge, insights, tools, and resources to become a successful GMR 2.1 appointee.
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