NPC / NPO — Empowering Youth Through Precious Skills
NPC No. 2015/324054/08 | NPO No. 276–252
| Programme Title | SAQA ID | NQF Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FET Certificate: Jewellery Manufacturing Operations With Specialisation in Jewellery Manufacturing Techniques |
57876 | 4 | 285 |
The FET Certificate in Jewellery Manufacturing Operations aims to provide students with the knowledge and the practical skills required for them to perform effectively in the professional jewellery industry. The purpose of the qualification is to provide students with relevant academic and practical exposure, customer relations, costing, manufacturing techniques and professional attitudes appropriate in this industry.
On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to seek careers in freelancing (rent a bench jeweller), contract jeweller or permanent staff member within the jewellery industry and companies of different sizes. Graduates will be competent in jewellery mass production, bespoke jewellery manufacturing, jewellery costing and jewellery presentation.
The minimum programme duration is 4 years full time, and the maximum duration is 5 years which entails work experience training. Unit Standards (US) are offered in a blend during the week on a full-time basis. MBC tuition is scheduled as per the SETA (MQA) and jewellery industry requirements.
Total: 285 credits across 4 years (Year 1: 81 | Year 2: 77 | Year 3: 65 | Year 4: 62)
Year 1 — 81 Credits: Foundation modules covering the history of jewellery, gemology, metallurgical principles, communication skills and the core technique of forging metal to manufacture jewellery.
| Module / Unit Standard | NQF Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrate an understanding of the historical developments of jewellery | 4 | 12 |
| Grade a gemstone | 4 | 8 |
| Describe and understand metallurgical principles for jewellery manufacture | 4 | 12 |
| Accommodate audience and context needs in oral / signed communication | 3 | 5 |
| Interpret and use information from text | 3 | 5 |
| Use language and communication in occupational learning programme | 3 | 5 |
| Write / Present / Sign Texts for a range of communicative contexts | 3 | 5 |
| Forge metal to manufacture jewellery | 4 | 21 |
| Total Credits — Year 1 | 81 | |
Year 2 — 77 Credits: Intermediate modules advancing into jewellery design, repousse and chasing techniques, mould production and applied mathematics and statistics.
| Module / Unit Standard | NQF Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Apply knowledge of statistics and probability to critically interrogate and effectively communicate findings on life related problems | 4 | 6 |
| Draw and design jewellery | 3 | 15 |
| Engage in sustained oral / signed communication and evaluate spoken / signed texts | 4 | 5 |
| Make and use repousse and chasing punches | 3 | 20 |
| Measure, estimate & calculate physical quantities & explore, critique & prove geometrical relationships in 2 and 3 dimensional space | 4 | 4 |
| Produce a mould of a piece of jewellery or related artefact for reproduction | 3 | 10 |
| Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes | 4 | 5 |
| Demonstrate an understanding of the historical developments of jewellery | 4 | 12 |
| Total Credits — Year 2 | 77 | |
Year 3 — 65 Credits: Advanced specialisation in stone setting techniques — flush setting, pave and star setting — as well as gemstone identification and lost wax casting for mass production.
| Module / Unit Standard | NQF Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Read / view, analyse and respond to a variety of texts | 4 | 5 |
| Flush-set faceted stones | 4 | 15 |
| Identify a gemstone | 4 | 10 |
| Mass produce jewellery using lost wax casting techniques | 4 | 20 |
| Pavé- and star-set faceted stones | 4 | 15 |
| Total Credits — Year 3 | 65 | |
Year 4 — 62 Credits: Master-level techniques in advanced stone settings including channel, tube, claw and tension settings, plus 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) for the jewellery industry.
| Module / Unit Standard | NQF Level | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Set faceted stones in channel settings | 4 | 18 |
| Set faceted stones in multiple tube settings | 4 | 15 |
| Set stones in multiple claw or wire settings | 4 | 15 |
| Tension set a single faceted stone | 4 | 2 |
| Use a 3D computer programme as a design-tool to produce jewellery drawings | 4 | 12 |
| Total Credits — Year 4 | 62 | |
MBC supports students throughout their blended learning approach using a comprehensive range of manufacturing tools and equipment.
Complete jeweller's hand tool kits provided for each student, included in tuition.
Heavy-duty jewellery machinery including rolling mills, polishing units and casting machines.
Professional engraving equipment for African motif and decorative techniques.
Industry-standard 3D computer-aided design software for IR 4.0 aligned jewellery design.
Pencils, crayons, sketching tools and e-guides for jewellery illustration and design.
Direct mentoring and teaching support from qualified jewellery artisans and educators.
Applications for the 2025 intake are open. Minimum 20 students per site. Tuition: R120 000 per annum per learner.