South Africa’s car repair industry faces critical training shortage as hybrid apprenticeship pilot targets wider access

The pilot was conducted in partnership with an RMI private training service provider and was designed to improve access to apprenticeship training where traditional training provision is limited geographically.

Sambra says the model could help address one of the challenges facing skills development in the automotive aftermarket, with the number of merSETA-approved training providers having fallen from 30 to 18 nationally.

The shortage is particularly acute for automobile spray-painting training. According to Sambra national director Juan Hanekom, there are currently no training providers for the trade in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal or Mpumalanga, meaning employers may have to send apprentices to other provinces to qualify.

Combining classroom and workplace training

The hybrid model combines face-to-face instruction, distance education and technology-supported learning.

Web-based supplementary programmes provide learners with additional curriculum material between contact sessions, while print-based distance education provides another way to access learning material.

Sambra stressed that the approach is intended to complement rather than replace practical workplace training.

“Technology can extend the reach of training, but it can never replace the importance of a skilled mentor in the workplace,” said Hanekom.

Motor body repair is a practical trade, with apprentices developing technical skills in body shops under the guidance of experienced workers.

The hybrid model therefore combines structured contact sessions, distance learning and information and communications technology (ICT)-supported activities with practical workplace experience.

Addressing access to training

Hanekom said the pilot was intended to determine whether a more flexible training model could improve access without compromising the quality of learning or the role of workplace experience.

“Access to training remains one of the biggest barriers to developing the skilled artisans our industry needs,” he said.

Sambra says the pilot demonstrated the potential for flexible training models to complement existing pathways and broaden access to skills development.

The association is now planning a national rollout of the model, although the release does not provide a timeframe for implementation.

“South Africa needs more skilled artisans, not fewer, and we need training models that recognise the realities faced by employers,” said Hanekom.