ALPLA is offering unemployed South African youth a practical way to enter the manufacturing environment through its Industrial Engineering Support YES Programme. The 12-month contract is aimed at candidates who want exposure to time studies, layouts, waste reduction, line balancing and process improvement.
This opportunity is listed under ALPLA Packaging Pty Ltd and carries reference number AP-14. The official listing shows the work level as Student/Graduate, the contract type as Contract, and the salary as Market Related.
For candidates with Grade 12 and relevant industrial engineering studies, this could be a valuable first step into a real production environment.
What is the ALPLA Industrial Engineering Support YES Programme about?
The ALPLA Industrial Engineering Support YES Programme gives young candidates practical workplace exposure in manufacturing.
The successful candidate will support improvement activities such as time studies, layout work, waste identification, line balancing and debottlenecking processes.
These tasks matter because factories need clear processes, better flow and reduced delays to operate efficiently.
Instead of only learning theory, participants can see how production improvement works in a real plant setting.
Who should consider this ALPLA opportunity?
This opportunity is best suited to unemployed South African youth who want to enter a technical or manufacturing environment.
It may suit candidates who are:
- Interested in industrial engineering
- Comfortable with process improvement
- Good with detail
- Willing to learn in a plant environment
- Able to communicate clearly
- Able to manage time well
- Comfortable using MS Office
ALPLA requires applicants to be South African unemployed youth aged between 18 and 34. Candidates must also be medically fit and must not have taken part in the YES Programme before.
This is a practical opportunity for young people who want to understand how manufacturing systems work from the inside.
What will the successful candidate do?
The successful candidate will assist the business with industrial engineering support duties.
Key responsibilities include:
- Assisting with time studies
- Supporting layout work
- Differentiating types of waste
- Assisting with line balancing
- Supporting the debottlenecking process
- Identifying training and development needs
- Understanding personal contribution to business efficiency
- Clarifying performance standards with the Business Manager
- Working professionally under pressure
ALPLA also expects the candidate to behave professionally and operate well with minimal supervision.
These duties can help participants build confidence while learning how production teams improve output, workflow and efficiency.
What health and safety duties are included?
The role also includes basic responsibilities linked to hygiene, product conformity and workplace safety.
The successful candidate must comply with hygiene requirements in the plant, report non-conformities, support corrective actions where needed and report unsafe conditions or incidents in the work area.
Therefore, applicants should understand that this opportunity requires discipline and awareness, not only technical interest.
In a manufacturing environment, safety and quality are part of daily work.
What are the minimum requirements?
Applicants must meet the programme requirements before submitting their details.
You need:
- South African citizenship
- Unemployed youth status
- Age between 18 and 34
- Medical fitness
- No previous participation in the YES Programme
- Grade 12
- Relevant Industrial Engineering Diploma or Degree
- Relevant qualification, preferably from a registered TVET
- Technical interest
- Attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- MS Office proficiency, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- Excellent time management
Applicants must also reside in Cosmo City, Diepsloot, Randburg, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp or surrounding areas.
Before applying, candidates should make sure their CV clearly shows their qualification, technical interest and any exposure to industrial engineering, operations, production or manufacturing.
How long does the programme run?
The programme duration is listed as 12 months. The official vacancy page also shows the duration category as 9 – 12 months.
That means candidates must be ready to commit to the full programme period.
A full year in a manufacturing environment can help participants build workplace habits, understand plant routines and gain useful practical exposure.
Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Do not send a generic CV for this opportunity. Add a short profile summary that mentions Industrial Engineering, process improvement, MS Excel, time studies, layouts, waste reduction or manufacturing interest. Recruiters should quickly see why you match this specific YES Programme.
When was the opportunity listed?
The official ALPLA listing shows the vacancy date as 27 May 2026.
No closing date was visible on the official page reviewed. Because of that, candidates should submit their details as soon as possible while the listing remains available.
Waiting too long may be risky because online vacancies can close once enough suitable applications have been received.
How can candidates submit their details?
Applications must be submitted through the official online application portal.
Before submitting, candidates should prepare:
- Updated CV
- Copy of ID
- Grade 12 certificate
- Relevant Industrial Engineering qualification
- Supporting academic documents, if available
Also check that your phone number and email address are correct before completing the online process.
What should candidates check before submitting?
Before sending the application, candidates should review every detail carefully.
Check that:
- Your CV matches the Industrial Engineering Support opportunity
- Your qualifications are clearly listed
- Your contact details are correct
- Your documents are readable
- Your area matches the location requirement
- You have not joined the YES Programme before
- You can commit to the full programme duration
Small errors can weaken a strong application.
A clean and focused submission gives recruiters a better reason to continue reviewing your details.
Why does this opportunity matter?
Many young people complete technical studies but still struggle to get practical workplace exposure.
The ALPLA Industrial Engineering Support YES Programme can help close that gap by placing candidates in a manufacturing environment where they can observe systems, support improvements and understand operational standards.
For unemployed youth with engineering studies, this opportunity offers more than experience. It offers a chance to turn classroom knowledge into workplace confidence.
Grow Your Career with SETACareers
Access the latest learnerships, internships, bursaries, scholarships, fellowships, apprenticeships, and practical SETA guides designed to help you succeed.
- Learnerships
- Internships
- Apprenticeships
- Bursaries
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Career Advice
- SETA Guides
Final Thoughts
The ALPLA Industrial Engineering Support YES Programme offers unemployed South African youth a 12-month contract opportunity in a manufacturing environment.
It is best suited to candidates with Grade 12, relevant industrial engineering studies, strong attention to detail and an interest in process improvement.
Candidates who meet the requirements should prepare their documents early and submit their details through the official online application portal while the opportunity remains open.
