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Writer's pictureNkululeko Thusini

Subjects Required for GCC Factories

Updated: Apr 15


Three routes may allow you to qualify as a GCC factories candidate:

  • Route 1 is for applicants with a bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering obtained from a University

  • Route 2 is for applicants with a national diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering (including BTech) from a Higher Education and Training institution such as UNISA, UJ, VUT, etc.

  • Route 3 is for applicants with a national technical diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering from a TVET college (or the formerly FET colleges)


Route 1 applicants need to submit their degree qualification and satisfy the Commission of examiners that they have sufficient maintenance and operation experience.


Route 2 applicants need to satisfy the Commission of Examiners that the educational institution's curriculum covers the plant engineering syllabus. They need to satisfy the Commission of examiners that they have sufficient maintenance and operation experience.


Route 2 applicants do not have "minimum" subjects to complete, but the Commission of Examiners may require the applicant to complete additional subjects if they are of the opinion that the applicant's national diploma curriculum did not sufficiently cover the plant engineering syllabus.


Route 3 applicants need to satisfy the Commission of Examiners that the educational institution's curriculum covers the plant engineering syllabus. And, the curriculum needs to consist of the minimum subjects for mechanical or electrical applicants. They need to satisfy the Commission of examiners that they have sufficient maintenance and operation experience.


The purpose of this post is to present the route 3 minimum subjects for mechanical or electrical applicants. The minimum subjects required differ between the route 3 mechanical and electrical applicants.


 

Required mechanical GCC Factories subjects


The minimum GCC factories subject the mechanical national technical diploma applicants need to complete are:

  • N3 engineering drawing

  • N4 engineering science

  • N4 industrial electronics

  • N4 mathematics

  • N5 fluid mechanics

  • N5 electro-technics

  • N6 control systems

  • N6 mechanotechnics

  • N6 power machines

  • N6 strength of materials

  • N6 fluid mechanics

  • N6 supervisory management


 

Required electrical GCC Factories subjects


The minimum GCC factories subject the electrical national technical diploma applicants need to complete are:

  • N3 engineering drawing

  • N4 engineering science

  • N4 mathematics

  • N5 strength of materials

  • N6 control systems

  • N6 mechanotechnics

  • N6 power machines

  • N6 industrial electronics

  • N6 electro-technics

  • N6 supervisory management

 

Conclusion


National Diploma or national higher Diploma (route 2, including BTech) GCC factories applicants do not need to complete the minimum GCC factories subjects. They are required to satisfy the Commission of Examiners that their curriculum sufficiently covered the plant engineering syllabus.


However, the Commission of Examiners may require the Route 2 applicant to complete additional subjects if it believes that the curriculum has not sufficiently covered the plant engineering syllabus.



National technical Diploma (route 3) applicants must complete to satisfy that the curriculum covers the plant engineering syllabus. The Commission of Examiners also requires that route 3 GCC factories applicants complete the minimum GCC Factories subjects for mechanical or electrical.


It is important at this point that you review:


This will help you better understand the requirements and bring you one step closer to getting your Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) factory letter of acceptance from the Department of Employment and Labour.


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6 Comments


Good day I would to know if would I be accepted for GCC exams with only Electrical qualifications. I have B tech in Electrical Engineering and I don't have any mechanical subjects.

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Morning do you offer Supervisory Management N5 & N6 ?

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Unknown member
Feb 26

HI Nkululeko, great content and website. I was wondering, is it possible to be accepted as candidate if the normal diploma at S4 mechanical,plus practicals are complete but the additional subjects required were passed at N5 and N6 level, for example N6 power machines in place of Steam Plant III Or Thermodynamics IV and N5 electrotechnics in place of Electrotechnology III or ( Electrical Engineering III and Electrical Machines III?

ie. Have you seen or heard of people being accepted with mixed S4 and N levels?

thanks in advance.

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Unknown member
Sep 17, 2023

Hi

I'm a Zimbabwean living in South Africa, obtained I.D through critical skills permit . SAQA gave me N6 after rating my qualifications so wanna know if I qualify for GCC Or need to do something first.? Would really appreciate your guidance

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Unknown member
Sep 01, 2021

Good afternoon I would like to know what can I do to qualify for a GCC since I have N2-N6, National N Diploma in Electrical engineering and a Trade Test Certificate in Electrical engineering so what can be my next steps?

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