RCL FOODS is a deeply rooted South African food manufacturer that produces some of the country’s most-loved brands: Yum Yum peanut butter, Nola mayonnaise, Ouma rusks, and Sellati sugar, just to name a few. At the heart of our culture and strategy is our Purpose – WE GROW WHAT MATTERS – which encapsulates our belief in collectively doing that little more to create a positive impact that matters.
Visit our website at: www.rclfoods.com
We are seeking a Group Artisan Development Specialist to support our Baking & Groceries Division on a 24-month fixed-term contract. This role reports to the Learning & Development Executive and will be based in Pretoria (Gauteng).
The purpose of this role is to ensure the effective development, quality assurance, and progression of artisans, apprentices, and practical students within the RCL FOODS Baking and Groceries Operating Businesses.
The role works in close collaboration with Engineering Managers, Maintenance Teams, HR, SETAs, and Training Centres to ensure:
- Artisan and student competency gap analyses are conducted
- Training programmes are designed, implemented, monitored, and seamlessly executed
- RCL artisans, apprentices, and apprentices’ practical students and artisan mentors are fully trained and supported
- Training delivery meets QCTO, SETA, and Occupational Curriculum requirements, creating a future skills pipeline
Artisan, Apprentice & Student Development Monitoring
- Monitor artisans, apprentices, practical students and artisan mentors across the Baking and Groceries sites.
- Conduct site visits to evaluate student, artisan and mentor performance in the workplace.
- Regularly engage with mentors to assess:
o Technical competence
o Behavioural and safety compliance
o Workplace readiness
o Logbooks
o Weekly journals
o Workplace evidence portfolios
o Any additional required documentation
- Ensure all evidence meets QCTO requirements for the specific trade.
Gap Analysis & Skills Development Planning
- Facilitate skills gap analyses for artisans, apprentices, and students in collaboration with Engineering Managers.
- Develop individual and group action plans to close identified gaps.
- Implement and track targeted close out training programmes.
- Monitor progress until competencies are fully achieved and documented.
Quality Assurance of Training Delivery
- Evaluate and monitor the quality of training provided internally and by external training centres.
- Ensure training delivery:
o Aligns with QCTO Occupational Qualifications
o Complies with approved curriculum content per trade
o Meets workplace and practical exposure requirements
- Identify deviations or shortcomings and implement corrective actions with training providers.
- Promote collaboration between training centres and Baking, Groceries and Milling sites.
Apprentice & Artisan Training Service Provider Programme Management
- Coordinate and oversee RCL apprenticeships and experiential training of learners,
- Ensure students are:
o Appropriately placed at sites
o Properly inducted and supervised
o Assigned competent workplace mentors
- Support pipeline development by identifying high-potential candidates for future apprenticeships and specialised artisan development
- Ensure structured exposure to grocery, milling and bakery plant equipment.
Regulatory, Curriculum & SETA Compliance
- Apply in depth knowledge of:
o ARPL (Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning) process for trades
o QCTO Occupational Qualifications curriculum
o Human Resource Requirements (HR)
o SETA operations, POE’s /documentation, and audits
- Liaise with SETAs and Learning & Development to ensure programme compliance.
- Support internal and external audits related to skills development and training quality.
Reporting & Governance
- Provide regular management reports to Learning & Development and the Engineering Excellence Community of Practice:
o Student and artisan progress
o Training quality findings
o Action plan implementation
- Maintain disciplined recordkeeping aligned to QCTO and RCL standards.
- Qualified Artisan in a recognised electrical or mechanical trade.
- Higher Certificate in Education or equivalent adult education qualification/ A National Diploma in OD ETDP, HRD, or HRM will be an added advantage.
- Minimum of 5 years’ post-trade industry experience, with Subject Matter Expert (SME) capability; experience in a Foreman or relevant leadership capacity will be advantages.
- Minimum 8–10 years’ overall experience in industrial or manufacturing environments
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in technical training and development
- Registered Assessor and Moderator
- Experience in FMCG, food manufacturing, milling, or baking environments (Preferred)
- Demonstrated experience working with training centres, SETAs, workplace mentors, and engineering leadership teams
Proven knowledge of:
- Artisan Development and Trade test preparation
- ARPL (Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning) processes
- QCTO Occupational Qualifications curriculum
- SETA operations, compliance, and stakeholder engagement
- Workplace human resource development and training requirements
