You can be a self-employed electrician
"Being qualified as an electrician does not mean that you have to apply for a job but you can open your own practice," says Sifiso Dhlamini.
Dhlamini (28) studied Electrical Engineering and qualified to be an electrician in 2012. After completing his studies he did not apply for a job but opened his own practice and helps people by fixing their electrical appliances.
He says the law allows only qualified electricians to connect cables to electrical motors as well as to handle electrical wiring of all electrically-equipped buildings
Minimum entrance requirements
N1: Grade Nine (Standard Seven) with mathematics and physical science.
N2: N1 National Certificate or equivalent.
N3: N2 National Certificate or equivalent.
Course Content:
N1
n Electrical trade theory.
n Mathematics.
n Engineering science.
Add any one of these:
n Industrial electronics.
n Engineering drawing.
N2
n Electrical trade theory.
n Mathematics.
n Engineering science.
Add any one of these:
n Industrial electronics.
n Engineering drawing.
He adds that if one successfully passes electronics National Technical Certificate two (NTC2) and also passes the practical trade test, you become a qualified electrician after having served for at least 18 months in the field.
N3
n Electrotechnology.
n Mathematics.
n Engineering science.
Add any one of these:
n Industrial electronics.
n Engineering drawing.
“By successfully completing electrician NTC3 you put yourself on the road to becoming an electrical technician,” says Dhlamini.
Adding that to successfully become an electrical technician you will have to complete an NTC4, NTC5 and NTC6 and that there are assessment tests by means of a department of higher education and training examination per subject and that upon successful completion of your exams you will be awarded your National Technical Certificate.
He says one can apply to study electrical engineering at a university, full time registered colleges and distance learning colleges.
Speaking about the duration of the course, Dhlamini says it differs from one institution to the other.
He says some colleges offer this course for a period of two years while in other institutions it takes four years to complete the course and become a qualified electrician, however, he says one can study further.
Speaking about the things that he enjoyed the most about being an independent electrician, Dhlamini says he loves doing his job in his and his clients’ convenient time.
“I love being my own boss and do not have to report to anyone while also helping people from my community with their electrical-related problems,” says Dhlamini.
He also encourages others to do the electrical engineering course so as to open their own practises and create more job opportunities for others in the township or even apply for a job and earn a good salary every month.
