Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA)

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) facilitates and funds skills development for South Africa’s construction workforce. CETA describes its purpose as positioning skills as a foundation for economic development and empowerment in construction.

Registered name

Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA)

Type

Sector Education and Training Authority (construction)

Fields funded

Built environment qualifications; learnerships, apprenticeships and internships

Website

ceta.org.za

Email

info@ceta.co.za

Phone

011 265 5900

Research first, then funding

CETA researches the skills that construction employers need, and uses that research to decide what to fund. CETA’s funding covers a wide range of learning programmes: skills programmes, learnerships, apprenticeships, internships and bursaries at public institutions such as universities and TVET colleges.

CETA links its work to the National Skills Development Plan (NSDP 2030), aiming to increase the number of people who gain critical and scarce construction skills and to build the capacity of the construction sector.

The Thapelo Madibeng Bursary

CETA’s Thapelo Madibeng Bursary Scheme funds unemployed students in built environment fields. The bursary targets people without jobs rather than employees already working in construction, which makes it an option for young people trying to enter the industry through study.

No 2027 call had been published when BursariesAfrica checked. The 2026 applications opened in January 2026, so BursariesAfrica expects the next call around January 2027 on CETA’s own website.

CETA’s governance

CETA recently called for nominations for its Accounting Authority, the board that oversees CETA, for a term running from August 2026 to 31 March 2030. SETAs have faced public scrutiny over governance in the past, and CETA’s board appointments shape how well funding reaches learners.

Researching CETA opportunities

Check ceta.org.za from December for the Thapelo Madibeng call, and read the eligibility rules carefully, especially the definition of unemployed and the list of built environment qualifications. Students already at a university or TVET college should also ask their institution’s financial aid office whether it administers CETA-funded bursaries or learnerships.

People interested in trades such as bricklaying, plumbing or carpentry should look at CETA-funded apprenticeships and learnerships, which combine training with workplace experience.

Employers in construction also deal with CETA when they claim grants for training their staff. Students doing vacation work with a construction company can ask the company’s skills development facilitator about CETA-funded opportunities, because employers often hear about CETA programmes first.

See our Construction Bursaries page for construction funders beyond CETA.