For Electrical Engineering graduates, an Engineer in Training programme can be much more than an opportunity to gain initial workplace experience. When the development pathway is structured around the Government Certificate of Competency (GCC), it can provide valuable exposure for engineers who want to build careers involving the operation, maintenance and legal responsibility of industrial plant and machinery.

Tharisa Minerals is inviting suitably qualified Electrical Engineering graduates and diplomates to apply for its Engineer in Training (EIT) Programme. The programme is aimed at candidates who want to work towards the Government Certificate of Competency (GCC): Electrical Engineer (Factories) while developing experience across industrial, manufacturing, processing, utilities and plant-engineering environments. Candidates must be willing to work across Arxo Metals and different sites in Brits, Kempton Park and Buffelspoort.

Tharisa Minerals Engineer in Training Programme: Quick Overview

• Company: Tharisa Minerals
• Programme: Engineer in Training (EIT)
• Field: Electrical Engineering
• Development pathway: GCC Electrical Engineer (Factories)
• Degree route: BSc/BEng Electrical Engineering
• Diploma route: National Diploma Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current)
• Previous experience: Advantageous, not mandatory
• Driver’s licence: Required
• Travel: Required
• Medical fitness: Required
• Citizenship: South African citizens only
• Sites: Brits, Kempton Park and Buffelspoort
• Accommodation: Not provided
• Closing date: 18 September 2026

About the Tharisa Engineer in Training Programme

The programme is designed for motivated and career-driven Electrical Engineering graduates and diplomates who want to develop within industrial engineering environments.

A central objective is progression towards the:

Government Certificate of Competency (GCC): Electrical Engineer (Factories).

The programme is therefore particularly relevant to Electrical Engineering candidates who are interested in developing careers involving industrial plants, machinery, processing operations and engineering management.

What Is the GCC Pathway?

The Government Certificate of Competency is particularly relevant to engineers who want to progress within environments where machinery, electrical installations and industrial operations carry significant technical and statutory responsibilities.

Tharisa specifically wants candidates who demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing the:

GCC: Electrical Engineer (Factories).

Successful candidates must also be willing to complete and pass the applicable GCC examination.

This means applicants should view the programme as a focused engineering-development pathway rather than a generic graduate internship.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Tharisa provides two main academic routes.

Candidates must hold either:

Degree Route

BSc or BEng Degree in Electrical Engineering

from a recognised institution.

National Diploma Route

National Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current)

from a recognised institution.

The reference to Heavy Current is important for National Diploma candidates. Applicants shouldn’t assume that every Electrical Engineering diploma automatically meets the stated requirement.

Is a Degree Mandatory?

No.

The programme explicitly includes both graduates and diplomates.

Candidates can qualify academically through either:

BSc/BEng Electrical Engineering

or:

National Diploma Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current).

National Diploma candidates who meet the stated discipline requirement therefore shouldn’t automatically exclude themselves because they don’t have a university engineering degree.

Is Previous Engineering Experience Required?

Tharisa states that:

Post-graduate experience in the maintenance and operation of mechanical and/or electrical machinery will be advantageous.

The key word is advantageous.

Previous post-graduate maintenance or machinery experience could strengthen an application, but it isn’t presented as an absolute entry requirement in the supplied advert.

This makes the programme particularly relevant to newly qualified candidates who meet the academic requirements and want to develop their industrial engineering careers.

Industrial Engineering Exposure

The EIT programme is intended to develop candidates interested in environments such as:

• Industrial operations
• Manufacturing
• Processing
• Utilities
• Plant engineering
• Machinery maintenance and operation

Candidates should therefore be comfortable working in practical industrial environments rather than expecting a purely office-based engineering position.

Multiple Work Sites

Candidates must be willing to work across:

• Brits
• Kempton Park
• Buffelspoort

The advert also refers to working across Arxo Metals and different sites.

Travel is therefore an important part of the programme.

Valid Driver’s Licence Is Required

Applicants must have a:

Valid driver’s licence.

Tharisa reinforces this requirement by stating that travelling will be necessary.

Candidates should treat the licence as mandatory, not merely advantageous.

No Accommodation Will Be Provided

Tharisa specifically states:

No accommodation will be provided.

Candidates should consider this carefully before applying, particularly because the programme involves work across different locations.

Applicants need to assess whether they can realistically manage the travel and accommodation implications associated with the programme.

Medical Fitness

Candidates must be:

Medically fit to work in an industrial environment.

Medical fitness is also repeated under the inherent requirements.

Applicants should therefore expect this to form part of the programme’s employment requirements.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Tharisa requires candidates with strong:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills

Engineers frequently need to communicate technical information to colleagues from different disciplines, supervisors and operational personnel, making these skills important alongside technical competence.

Computer Literacy

Applicants need basic computer literacy, including proficiency in:

Microsoft Office.

Candidates should accurately list the Microsoft applications they’re comfortable using rather than simply overstating their computer abilities.

Report-Writing Skills

Candidates also need:

Sound report-writing skills.

This is particularly relevant in engineering environments where technical findings, maintenance activities, investigations and project information may need to be formally documented.

South African Citizenship Requirement

The programme is open to:

South African citizens only.

Applicants should treat this as an eligibility requirement.

Preference for Local Communities

Tharisa states that preference will be given to candidates from:

Local communities and labour-sending areas.

This is a preference rather than wording that says only local-community candidates may apply.

Eligible candidates outside those areas shouldn’t automatically interpret the preference as an absolute exclusion unless further application criteria state otherwise.

Employment Equity

Tharisa also notes that, in accordance with its Employment Equity requirements:

Preference will be given to designated positions.

Candidates should follow the official recruitment requirements and provide accurate information during the application process.

Who Should Apply?

The programme could be particularly suitable for someone who:

• Holds a BSc/BEng in Electrical Engineering, or
• Holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current)
• Wants to pursue GCC Electrical Engineer (Factories)
• Wants industrial or plant-engineering experience
• Is interested in machinery maintenance and operation
• Has a valid driver’s licence
• Is willing to travel between sites
• Is medically fit for industrial work
• Has good communication skills
• Can write professional reports
• Has basic Microsoft Office skills
• Is a South African citizen

Previous post-graduate machinery maintenance or operational experience can strengthen an application but is described as advantageous.

Thabang’s Tip

The biggest opportunity here is the GCC pathway.

Don’t submit a generic graduate CV that simply says you’re looking for Electrical Engineering experience. Tharisa specifically wants candidates interested in progressing towards the Government Certificate of Competency: Electrical Engineer (Factories).

Make that career direction visible.

If you’ve completed practical projects, vacation work or post-graduate experience involving electrical machinery, motors, industrial equipment, maintenance, plant operations, power systems or fault finding, describe what you actually did.

Also understand the requirements correctly:

BSc/BEng Electrical Engineering → Accepted qualification route

National Diploma Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current) → Accepted qualification route

Post-graduate machinery experience → Advantageous

Valid driver’s licence → Required

Medical fitness → Required

South African citizenship → Required

And don’t overlook the logistics. No accommodation is provided and travelling between sites is a requirement. Make sure this is practical for you before accepting an offer.

How to Apply for the Tharisa Engineer in Training Programme

Eligible candidates should apply through the official recruitment channel associated with the Tharisa Minerals Engineer in Training Programme.

Your CV should clearly show:

• BSc/BEng Electrical Engineering, or National Diploma Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current)
• Institution attended
• Relevant engineering modules or projects
• Post-graduate engineering experience, if applicable
• Electrical or mechanical machinery exposure
• Industrial/plant experience, if applicable
• Interest in pursuing the GCC
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Report-writing capabilities
• Valid driver’s licence
• Current contact information

The supplied information doesn’t include a direct application link, so one shouldn’t be invented.

Candidates who meet the requirements should apply before the deadline.

For Electrical Engineering graduates and diplomates who want to build careers in industrial, manufacturing, processing, utilities and plant engineering, the Tharisa Minerals EIT Programme offers a particularly focused development opportunity because it is structured around progression towards the GCC: Electrical Engineer (Factories).

Applications close on 18 September 2026.

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