In 1996 SAPREF started the Refinery School which enabled production trainees to enroll in a learnership programme for the first time. Existing engineering trainees continued with the old apprenticeship programme and only the new intake embarked on engineering learnerships. SAPREF's four-year learnership programmes are well sort after and have a very good reputation in the industry.

Opportunities

About eight engineering learners are accepted to the programme each year, in the disciplines of Mechanical, Instruments and Electrical while production intake is determined by the refinery's future staff requirements. Engineering learnerships are offered mainly as a social responsibility and those who go through them go on to find employment in other companies. Those who undertake the production learnership are mostly absorbed into the refinery if vacancies exist. It must be emphasized though that employment is never guaranteed.

How to enrol

Recruitment of new learners starts in June/July of each year. Advertisements are placed in the relevant media and applicants go through a rigorous selection process culminating in interviews that typically take place in October/November. Grade 12 students who have passed Maths and Science can apply for these programmes. The ideal candidates must enjoy working with their hands, show initiative, be self motivated and must not mind working shifts. There are currently about 70 learners undergoing training in the SAPREF learnership programmes.