If you enjoy working with your hands and operating machinery then a career as a Fitter and Turner could be for you.
Career Overview
A Fitter and Turner works with detailed drawings to fabricate components that are needed for different machinery. Part of their work involves repairing and maintaining the machines.
They work with a lot of metal and precision is extremely key, together with attention to detail.
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:
- English (Home Language and First Additional Language)
- Pure Mathematics
Recommended subjects:
- Mechanical Technology
- Engineering, Graphics and Design
Institution and APS
There is no APS required for studying to become a Fitter and Turner but a minimum of 40% (Level 4) for mathematics is required. Here are some recommended institutions:
- Intec College
- Northlink College
- False Bay TVET College
Required Qualification/s
A National Diploma, Diploma or Higher Certificate are all acceptable qualifications. However, some companies do accept a grade 9 high school certificate but most generally require one of the three mentioned qualifications. Experience is also required in this career.
Required Skills
You will need to have the following skills to succeed as a Fitter and Turner:
- Excellent accuracy
- Good at working with your hands
- Mathematically minded
- Mechanical
- Interpersonal
- Team worker
Where you can work
As a Fitter and Turner, there are a variety of environments you can work in:
- Engineering Organisations
- Industrial Plants
- Government Departments
- Iron and Steel Plants
- Independent Contractor
Working Hours
Work hours are generally 40 hours a week but overtime is a common occurrence. Work hours can extend into the late night and include the weekend depending on the level of emergency.
Expected Salary
If you’re interested in this career path, then it’s important that you know that the salary package ranges between R72 000 and R420 000, with an average salary of R247 634. Experience and level of skills are what contribute to boosting the salary package.
What to expect
Here are a few things you can expect from a career as a Fitter and Turner:
- Long hours are a constant occurrence and in some cases working over public holidays is possible
- Standing for long hours during work hours happens regularly, the career is physically tiring
- Work environments are usually noisy, dirty and crowded, making it an even more dangerous environment. Safety is very important and needs to be practiced constantly
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