Mariëtte Kroukamp is a qualified draughtman and has been in the draughting industry for 12 years.
She says a draughtsman can work in mining, civil, piping, architectural and so forth.
“Draughtsmen work closely with specific engineers, taking their plans and ideas and transferring it to computer-aided drawings and applying the required standards to those drawings.”
These drawings must be very accurate and legible, since it will be used to manufacture, construct and erect specific items drawn.
Mariëtte confirmed there is indeed a market for draughtsmen.
“Even through the recession in 2007 and 2008, draughtsmen were one of the least effected areas of employment.
“The most demanding part of this career choice is the long hours in front of a computer, you need to apply some logical thinking to your work, since there is no time for spoon-feeding you information.”
Mariëtte explains that salaries vary widely on whether you are permanently employed or on a contract basis.
“In general, junior draughtsmen start with a salary of about R20 000 per month and some senior contractors can earn up to R500 per hour or more.”
There are endless possibilities of advancement in this field.
You can stay a draftsman and build experience, becoming an expert in a specific field or you can jump between various fields and gain a variety of knowledge and experiences.
You can also decide to take your studies further and become an engineer or you might be more interested in teaching other people the skill of computer-aided draughting.
If this is a career you would be interested in, Mariëtte says mathematics and physical science as subjects are a definite must in school and you must have great attention to detail and having patience will help a lot.
“If you have passed these subjects on N3 level, the course will be 12 months.”
There are various institutions and colleges that offer this course.
“I personally studied at African Cad Academy which was established in 1994 to address the critical need for well-trained and skilled draughtsmen and to contribute towards reducing unemployment in South Africa.”
