Home
CV examples
Fitter and Turner

Fitter and Turner CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Fitters and turners keep plants running. Mines, Eskom power stations, Transnet ports and rail workshops, Sasol, sugar mills, paper mills, cement plants and engineering workshops all hire them to repair and maintain pumps, gearboxes, conveyors, crushers, fans and compressors, and to make replacement parts on the lathe and milling machine. The "fitter" half of the trade is taking machines apart, finding the fault and putting them back together to the right tolerances. The "turner" half is machining shafts, bushes, sleeves and keyways from an engineering drawing. A maintenance foreman or engineer reading your CV looks first for your trade test certificate (the Red Seal), then for the equipment you know, how accurately you can measure and machine, and whether you can work to a maintenance plan and close out work orders in SAP PM (the plant maintenance part of the SAP system that most large plants use).

The example below is for a qualified fitter and turner about six years after the trade test, who did an MQA apprenticeship at a mineral sands mine, worked at a sugar mill and now maintains bulk handling equipment at a port. If you are an apprentice, list your employer, your SETA (merSETA for most factories and workshops, MQA for mines), the phase you have reached and the jobs you can already do on your own, such as changing bearings or turning a simple shaft. If you have worked on a mine, mention it clearly: the Mine Health and Safety Act, not the Occupational Health and Safety Act, applies there, and mine employers prefer artisans who already know mine inductions, medical fitness and lockout rules.

Opens this CV in our free builder so you can put in your own details. No account needed.

Fitter and Turner CV example

Pravesh Chetty

Red Seal fitter and turner with 6 years' mining, sugar mill and port maintenance experience

082 555 0739 · pravesh.chetty@example.co.za · Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal

Profile

Red Seal fitter and turner with six years of mining, sugar mill and port maintenance in Zululand. Maintains and overhauls conveyors, pumps, gearboxes, crushers and stacker reclaimers, fits bearings and mechanical seals, and aligns drives with a laser alignment tool to within 0.05 mm. Turns shafts, bushes and couplings on the centre lathe and cuts keyways on the milling machine to drawing tolerances. Opens, works and closes SAP PM work orders for planned and breakdown maintenance, and follows lockout on every job.

Work experience

Maintenance Fitter and Turner

Transnet Port Terminals, Richards Bay | Jan 2023 – Present

Maintain belt conveyors, two stacker reclaimers and a ship loader at the dry bulk terminal
Replace about 300 idlers and 12 pulleys a year, and help the belting team track and splice belts
Overhaul conveyor gearboxes and align drives with a laser alignment tool to within 0.05 mm
Complete about 40 planned maintenance jobs a month from SAP PM work orders, booking hours, parts and findings
Work standby for breakdowns, returning stopped conveyors to service within an average of three hours

Fitter and Turner

Zululand Cane Millers (Pty) Ltd, Empangeni | Sep 2020 – Dec 2022

Kept cane carriers, shredders, mills and juice pumps running during the crushing season on 12-hour shifts
Overhauled mill rollers, cane knives, shredder hammers and gearboxes during the off-crop maintenance season
Turned shafts, bushes and couplings on the lathe and cut keyways on the milling machine for the mill workshop
Coached two apprentices on measuring, bearing fitting and lathe work

Apprentice Fitter and Turner

Richards Bay Minerals, Richards Bay | Jul 2016 – Aug 2020

Completed an MQA fitter and turner apprenticeship in the mine's engineering workshop and mineral separation plant
Repaired slurry pumps, conveyors and screens under an artisan's supervision, under the mine's lockout and permit rules
Passed the fitter and turner trade test in August 2020

Education

N2 Engineering Studies (Fitting and Machining)

Umfolozi TVET College, Richtek Campus, 2016, NQF level 3

Subjects: Mathematics N2, Engineering Science N2, Engineering Drawing N2, Fitting and Machining Theory N2

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Brackenham Secondary School, 2015, NQF level 4

Subjects: English Home Language, Afrikaans First Additional Language, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Mechanical Technology, Life Orientation

Skills

Lathe and milling machine work
Engineering drawings and tolerances
Micrometers, verniers and dial indicators
Pumps, gearboxes and conveyors
Bearings and mechanical seals
Laser shaft alignment
SAP PM work orders
Lockout and permits to work

Certificates

Trade Certificate (Red Seal), Fitter and Turner, Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), 2020
Laser Shaft Alignment Course, Equipment supplier training centre, 2023
Working at Heights and Confined Space Entry, Accredited safety training provider, 2025
Rigging and Lifting Equipment Safety, Accredited safety training provider, 2024

Achievements

Cut repeat slurry pump failures on one plant section from monthly to twice a year by fixing drive alignment
No lost-time injuries in six years on a mine, a sugar mill and a port

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:: Yes
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: English (Home language), isiZulu (Good), Afrikaans (Basic)
Notice period:: One month
Availability:: Available for shift work, standby and shutdown overtime

References

Sipho Ntshangase

Maintenance Foreman, Transnet Port Terminals

035 555 0418

Johan Strydom

Mill Engineer, Zululand Cane Millers (Pty) Ltd

035 555 0263

Fitter and Turner CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Red Seal fitter and turner with six years of mining, sugar mill and port maintenance in Zululand. Maintains and overhauls conveyors, pumps, gearboxes, crushers and stacker reclaimers, fits bearings and mechanical seals, and aligns drives with a laser alignment tool to within 0.05 mm. Turns shafts, bushes and couplings on the centre lathe and cuts keyways on the milling machine to drawing tolerances. Opens, works and closes SAP PM work orders for planned and breakdown maintenance, and follows lockout on every job.

Skills to list on your Fitter and Turner CV

Reading engineering drawings, including fits, tolerances, surface finish and geometric tolerance symbols
Measuring with outside and inside micrometers, vernier callipers, dial indicators, feeler gauges and bore gauges
Turning shafts, bushes, sleeves, pulleys and threads on a centre lathe to within 0.02 mm
Cutting keyways, slots and flats on a milling machine, and using a dividing head
Fitting and removing bearings with pullers, presses and an induction heater
Repairing centrifugal and slurry pumps, including impellers, wear plates, gland packing and mechanical seals
Overhauling gearboxes, checking gear backlash and bearing clearances, and refilling with the correct oil
Maintaining belt conveyors, including idlers, pulleys, belt tracking, scrapers and take-ups
Aligning motors, gearboxes and pumps with a laser alignment tool or dial indicators
Planned maintenance, lubrication routes and inspections from a maintenance schedule
Breakdown fault-finding on mechanical equipment under time pressure
Opening notifications, booking hours and closing work orders in SAP PM
Lockout and isolation with a personal lock, and test-starting equipment to prove it is dead
Rigging and lifting with chain blocks, slings and overhead cranes

Duties written as strong bullet points

Maintained 14 km of belt conveyors, two stacker reclaimers and a ship loader at a dry bulk terminal, replacing about 300 idlers and 12 pulleys a year
Overhauled slurry and water pumps, fitting new impellers, liners and mechanical seals, and cut repeat pump failures on one plant section from monthly to twice a year
Stripped, inspected and rebuilt conveyor and crusher gearboxes, measuring bearing clearances and gear backlash with feeler gauges and dial indicators
Aligned motor, gearbox and pump drives with a laser alignment tool to within 0.05 mm, reducing bearing and coupling failures
Turned replacement shafts, bushes and couplings on the centre lathe and cut keyways on the milling machine to H7 and h6 fits from engineering drawings
Did about 40 planned maintenance jobs a month from SAP PM work orders, booking actual hours and parts and writing clear findings for the planner
Responded to breakdowns on standby, getting a stopped conveyor back in service within an average of three hours
Overhauled cane knives, shredder hammers, mill rollers and juice pumps during the sugar mill's off-crop maintenance season
Locked out and isolated equipment with a personal lock before every job, with no lost-time injuries in six years
Coached two apprentices on measuring, bearing fitting and lathe work, and signed off their logbook tasks

Tips for a stronger Fitter and Turner CV

Name the equipment you have worked on

"Maintained conveyors, Warman slurry pumps, Flender gearboxes and jaw crushers" tells a maintenance foreman much more than "general maintenance". Say what kind of plant it was too, such as a coal mine, sugar mill, port, power station or food factory, because each one has its own typical machines.

Show how accurately you work

Fitters and turners are hired for precision. Give the tolerances you work to, such as "turned shafts to within 0.02 mm" or "laser alignment to within 0.05 mm", and list the measuring tools you use. A reader who sees micrometers, bore gauges and dial indicators knows you will not guess.

Mention planned maintenance and SAP PM

Large plants run on planned maintenance. If you have worked from SAP PM work orders, booked hours and parts, raised notifications or done condition monitoring rounds, say so with numbers, such as "40 planned jobs a month". It shows you fit into how big employers work, not only that you can fix things.

Put safety and site rules in writing

Mention lockout with a personal lock, permits to work, working at heights and confined space training. If you have worked on a mine, say that you hold a valid certificate of fitness from the mine's occupational medical practitioner and know the mine's induction, because mines will not let you underground or on the plant without them.

Give your trade test details at the top

Write "Trade certificate (Red Seal), Fitter and Turner", the year, and whether you came through an apprenticeship, a learnership or ARPL. If you are an apprentice, give your phase and expected trade test date. Many maintenance posts at Eskom, Transnet, Sasol and the mines will not be considered without the trade certificate.

Questions people ask

How do I become a qualified fitter and turner in South Africa?

You need an apprenticeship or learnership with an employer that is registered with a SETA, usually merSETA for manufacturing and engineering or the MQA for mines. The current qualification is the Occupational Certificate Fitter and Turner at NQF level 4, which mixes college or training centre modules with workplace experience over about three to four years. Most employers ask for matric with Mathematics and Physical Sciences, or N2 with Mathematics, Engineering Science, Engineering Drawing and Fitting and Machining Theory. You finish by passing the trade test at an accredited trade test centre.

What is the difference between a fitter and turner, a fitter and a millwright?

A fitter (mechanical fitter) installs, maintains and repairs machines. A fitter and turner does the same work and can also machine parts on a lathe and milling machine, which is why workshops and remote plants value them. A millwright works on both the mechanical and electrical side of machines. They are separate trades, each with its own trade test.

Does the Mine Health and Safety Act apply to fitters and turners?

Yes, if you work at a mine. The Mine Health and Safety Act covers everyone working at a mine, including artisans in the engineering workshop and plant. Your employer must give you health and safety training, and you need a certificate of fitness from an occupational medical practitioner before you start. Outside mines, such as at factories, ports and power stations, the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies instead.

What is SAP PM and do I need to know it?

SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) is the system many large employers, such as mines, Eskom, Transnet and Sasol, use to plan maintenance and record work. A fault is logged as a notification, the planner turns it into a work order with parts and hours, and the artisan does the job and confirms the hours and findings. You can learn it on the job, but listing it on your CV helps you stand out.

Can I do the fitter and turner trade test without an apprenticeship?

Yes, through ARPL (artisan recognition of prior learning), if you have worked in the trade for some years. merSETA's ARPL form, for example, accepts three years of relevant South African work experience with a relevant N2 certificate, or four years of experience with Grade 9. An accredited trade test centre checks your evidence and may send you for gap training, usually on the lathe and milling machine, before the trade test.