Air Products Chemical Production Machine Operator Learnership 2026: 5 Posts in Kempton Park

Air Products Chemical Production Machine Operator Learnership 2026: 5 Posts in Kempton Park

Air Products South Africa, one of the country’s leading industrial gas manufacturers, has opened five Chemical Production Machine Operator learnership positions at its Kempton Park facility, and for young people wanting a genuine, structured route into the manufacturing and petrochemical sector, this 12-month programme is well worth serious consideration.

• Closing Date: 25 October 2026
• Location: Kempton Park, Gauteng (Specialty Gas department; applicants must reside within approximately 40km of the plant, including areas such as Reiger Park, Rabie Ridge, and Geluksdal)
• Salary/Stipend: R4,500 per month for the full duration of the programme

Job Overview

This is a 12-month learnership hosted within Air Products’ Specialty Gas department at its Kempton Park facility, with five positions available in this specific intake. The programme is built to train future Chemical Production Machine Operators through a genuine combination of theoretical classroom learning and hands-on workplace experience, giving young South Africans real exposure to how a large-scale industrial gas manufacturing operation actually runs day to day.

With only five posts on offer, this is a competitive opportunity, so getting every part of the application right matters just as much as meeting the basic entry criteria.

Job Description

Learners accepted onto this programme will be placed within a real production environment, working alongside experienced staff to build practical machine operation skills in a controlled manufacturing setting. The role blends structured, prescribed training modules with genuine plant exposure, covering everything from chemical production processes and standard operating procedures through to workplace health and safety practices specific to a chemical plant environment.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate fully in structured theoretical and practical learnership training modules
• Gain hands-on exposure to chemical production processes and standard operating procedures
• Operate production machinery under supervision within a controlled manufacturing environment
• Follow workplace health and safety practices strictly, given the nature of chemical plant operations
• Support day-to-day production routines within the Specialty Gas department
• Build a working understanding of how industrial production teams coordinate and communicate
• Complete all required assessments and evaluations tied to the learnership curriculum
• Maintain consistent attendance and engagement across both the theoretical and practical components

Requirements and Qualifications

To be eligible for this learnership, applicants must meet every one of the following criteria:

• South African citizenship
• Between 22 and 30 years of age
• A Matric (Grade 12) certificate with Mathematics and Science passed
• Currently unemployed
• Never having previously participated in any learnership programme
• Residing within approximately 40km of the Kempton Park facility, including surrounding areas such as Reiger Park, Rabie Ridge, and Geluksdal

Because Mathematics and Science are specifically required, applicants should make sure these subjects and their results are clearly visible on their CV and attached Matric certificate, rather than buried in a long list of other subjects.

Skills and Competencies

Beyond meeting the formal entry requirements, candidates who tend to stand out in Air Products’ selection process for this kind of technical learnership generally show:

• A genuine aptitude for, or interest in, science and mathematics-based problem solving
• Strong attention to detail, particularly important in a safety-sensitive chemical plant environment
• Reliability and punctuality, both essential in a structured production setting
• A safety-conscious mindset and willingness to follow procedures strictly
• Good teamwork and communication skills, useful for coordinating within a production team
• Basic technical or mechanical aptitude, even from informal or school-based exposure
• A genuine, long-term interest in building a career in industrial or chemical manufacturing

Why This Learnership Is Worth Considering

For young South Africans in the East Rand who’ve completed Matric with Mathematics and Science but haven’t yet found a way into formal employment, this learnership offers a genuinely practical solution. A 12-month, stipend-paid programme that leads to a nationally recognised qualification gives learners real, demonstrable experience in industrial production and chemical manufacturing, sectors that remain in steady demand across South Africa’s broader petrochemical and manufacturing economy. Being trained within a company with more than five decades of operating history in South Africa also adds genuine credibility to a CV, whether a career continues within Air Products or moves into the wider industrial gases and chemicals sector .

About Air Products South Africa

Air Products South Africa (Pty) Limited was established in 1969, originally as a joint venture between Iscor and the global Air Products and Chemicals Inc., and has since grown into an industry leader in the production of reliable, high-quality industrial and specialty gases across the Southern African region. Backed by a team of several hundred dedicated employees, the company has spent more than five decades delivering cost-effective gas supply solutions to South African industry.

Air Products South Africa manufactures, supplies, and distributes a wide variety of industrial and specialty gas products, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, to major companies across the steel, stainless steel, chemical, petrochemical, and engineering sectors. The company operates a fleet of cryogenic tankers and cylinder trucks to ensure reliable supply, alongside state-of-the-art blending technology for high-purity gas mixtures, and has built a strong reputation as a thought leader in industrial gas sustainability and supply chain management.

Air Products South Africa forms part of the broader global Air Products and Chemicals Inc. network, a company whose worldwide operations trace back to 1940 and which today employs tens of thousands of people across the globe. Through learnership programmes like this one, Air Products South Africa continues to create genuine pathways for young South Africans to enter the industrial manufacturing sector, combining practical training with a nationally recognised qualification to help build the next generation of skilled plant operators.

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