Who this course is for
- Construction carpenters who set out and build formwork on concrete works
- Civils and building crews shuttering slabs, columns, beams and walls
- General workers moving from labouring into construction carpentry
- Employers who need shutter-hands who can work from drawings
What you will be able to do after this course
- Use drawings to set out and prepare construction carpentry work areas
- Identify, use and maintain the tools, machines, equipment and materials for site carpentry
- Apply health and safety to a work area
- Erect, use and dismantle access equipment safely
What the course covers
The course covers the competencies a shutter-hand needs on a concrete site, from reading the drawing through to striking the formwork.
Learners cover using drawings and setting out, identifying, using and maintaining the tools, machines, equipment and materials for construction carpentry site practice, formwork materials and systems, assembling and aligning shutters for slabs, columns and beams, props, ties and bracing, applying health and safety to a work area, erecting, using and dismantling access equipment, and striking and cleaning formwork. The carpentry work is assessed practically.
How you are assessed and what you receive
Assessment covers a written knowledge test and a practical, where the learner sets out and builds a section of formwork to drawing under supervision. On successful completion the learner is certificated against SAQA unit standard 14226, and the certificate can be downloaded from the Fundza portal as well as issued directly.
What this certificate is worth
Formwork failure during a pour is one of the more dangerous events on a construction site, and the quality of the finished concrete is decided by the shuttering long before the truck arrives. The certificate is what a main contractor asks for on a formwork crew. Learners can download it from the Fundza portal at any time.
Duration, dates and fees
| Option | Duration | Fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full course | 5 days | R4,117 | First-time certification |
On-site delivery at your own operation is available and is usually the better option for a crew, because the practical work can be done on the formwork system your own project uses. For group bookings, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based.
Where and how the training runs
Training runs at the Fundza Training Institute centre in Mokopane, and on site at your own operation. On-site delivery is generally better for a civils crew, since formwork systems differ between suppliers and the training is more useful on the one they build with. For a group booking, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.
The three concrete trades: how they differ
| Shutter-hand (this course) | Steel fixer and concrete-hand | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Setting out and building formwork | Tying reinforcing, or batching and mixing concrete |
| Unit standard | SAQA 14226 | SAQA 116573 and SAQA 12916 |
| Where it sits | First, before the steel goes in | After the formwork, and at the pour |
| Duration | 5 days | 2 days each |
The three trades run in sequence on the same pour. Contractors often train crews across all three so people can be moved between them.
Where this course can take you
Shutter-hand sits inside the concrete trades stack at Fundza. The natural companions are Steel Fixer and Concrete-Hand, and most shutter-hands also hold Hand Tools, Power Tool, Scaffolding and Working at Heights. Browse the full Construction Trainings range.
Enquire about this course
Tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.