BluLever Educations
BluLever Educations is a South African vocational training company that delivers QCTO-accredited trade apprenticeships in plumbing, electrical, and automotive fields, placing candidates with SME and employer partners in Johannesburg.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BluLever Educations does
BluLever Educations is a South African vocational training company headquartered in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, that operates QCTO-accredited trade apprenticeship programs in plumbing, electrical, and automotive fields, targeting unemployed and under-skilled youth who are placed with SME employers for workplace-based learning. The company runs a structured multi-stakeholder model: candidates enter through a two-month selection process called "Leadership Base Camp," progress through accredited curricula that prepare them for the Red Seal artisan certification, and are placed with one of more than 100 employer partners across South Africa. As of the latest data, the platform reports 400+ active apprentices, 150+ SMEs, 100+ employer partners, and a pipeline of 1,000+ candidates, with sub-brands MakersHub and WomenOnTools extending the offering into adjacent maker-ecosystem and gender-targeted initiatives.
The business model combines tuition revenue, employer co-investment, and structured funding instruments. Published program fees are R126,260 for plumbing and R144,878 for both electrical and automotive, payable through a mix of direct payment, bursaries, and income-share agreements. Channel partnerships with youth-employment platforms Harambee and SAYouth feed candidate flow, while industry partners such as IOPSA provide employer-side access in plumbing. Revenue recognition is spread across multi-year program durations, so annual recognized revenue is a fraction of cumulative tuition billed. Co-CEOs Adam Collier and Jess Roussos lead the organization, with a director-level team scaling operations beyond a single Johannesburg campus.
BluLever Educations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BluLever Educations
- Legal name
- BluLever Education
- Website
- https://blulever.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BluLever Educations is a South African vocational training company that delivers QCTO-accredited trade apprenticeships in plumbing, electrical, and automotive fields, placing candidates with SME and employer partners in Johannesburg.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BluLever Educations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Apprenticeship Training
- NAICS
- Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electronics Technician Training (Analog/Digital) (EDAOABAG)
Keywords
Where BluLever Educations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
BluLever Educations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Apprenticeship Tuition Fees: Students pay tuition fees for 3-year apprenticeship programmes. Plumbing costs R126,260; Electrical and Automotive cost R144,878 each. Payment options include upfront (10% discount), quarterly (5% fee), or monthly (7% fee) instalments.
- Bursaries: Bursaries are available from external organisations but typically do not cover the entire tuition fee. Partially funded by international impact investors.
- Income Share Agreements (ISA): Partnership with Chancen allows apprentices to borrow money and repay through a fixed percentage of future income after qualifying as artisans.
- Seed Investment: Secured seed funding from four international impact investors: elea Foundation, Autodesk Foundation, Oppenheimer Generations Foundation, and A to Z Impact, plus follow-on funding from angel investors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Plumbing Apprenticeship - R126,260 over 3 years |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Electrical Apprenticeship - R144,878 over 3 years |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Automotive Apprenticeship - R144,878 over 3 years |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
BluLever Educations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BluLever Educations delivers a 3-year QCTO-accredited artisan apprenticeship programme in plumbing, electrical, and automotive trades that combines campus-based learning blocks (3 months/year) with employer-based on-the-job training (9 months/year), culminating in a Red Seal trade test certification. Apprentices progress through a 2-month Leadership Base Camp selection stage covering residential camp, journey hike, and work-readiness classes, and pay tuition of R126,260 (plumbing) or R144,878 (electrical/automotive) over the three years.
Product overview
BluLever Education is a South African vocational training startup offering a portfolio of demand-led artisan training products. Its core offering is the Artisan Apprenticeship Programme — a 3-year, QCTO-accredited (NQF Level 4) vocational programme offered in three trades: Plumbing, Electrical, and Automotive. The apprenticeship model combines campus-based learning blocks with employer-based on-site learning, and culminates in a Red Seal trade test. The Leadership Base Camp (LBC) is a mandatory 2-month pre-apprenticeship selection and readiness programme. Supporting products include the WomenOnTools initiative (supporting female apprentices), MakersHub (an artisan business incubation hub), and various artisan business programmes for existing tradespeople. Student financing is facilitated through bursaries, Manati-backed student loans, and Chancen Income Share Agreements. BluLever also publishes research reports on the artisan ecosystem including The Artisan Report, The Artisan 4.0 Summit Report, and The Wraparound Support Report. The company recruits approximately 5 cohorts of ~30 students three times per year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MakersHub: An incubation hub that supports small businesses in their journey to growth, formalisation and stability.
Products and services
- Artisan Apprenticeship Programme A 3-year vocational apprenticeship programme combining 3-month campus-based learning blocks per year with 9 months of employer-based learning, leading to a QCTO-accredited occupational certificate (NQF Level 4) and Red Seal trade test certification. Trades include plumbing, electrical, and automotive. Target customers are aspiring young artisans aged 18-30.
- Plumbing Apprenticeship A 3-year plumbing apprenticeship with campus-based blocks and employer-based learning. Total tuition is R126,260 over 3 years. Programme includes Leadership Base Camp, trade test preparation, and Red Seal certification upon completion. For aspiring young artisans aged 18-30.
- Electrical Apprenticeship A 3-year electrical trade apprenticeship offered as part of the Artisan Apprenticeship Programme. Total tuition is R144,878 over 3 years, with the same blended campus and employer-based learning model. For aspiring young electricians.
- Automotive (Auto Mechanic) Apprenticeship A 3-year automotive trade apprenticeship offered as part of the Artisan Apprenticeship Programme. Total tuition is R144,878 over 3 years, with blended campus and employer-based learning. For aspiring young auto mechanics.
- MakersHub An incubation hub that supports small artisan businesses in their journey to growth, formalisation, and stability. Target customers are existing artisan SMEs in BluLever's connected ecosystem.
- WomenOnTools An initiative and employer network programme dedicated to changing the narrative about women in trades, connecting female apprentices with employer partners committed to training women on-site. For female aspiring artisans and supportive employer partners.
- Bursary & Income Share Agreement (ISA) Funding Student financing options including partial bursaries, self-funding with quarterly or monthly payment plans, student loans facilitated through Manati Student Funding, and Income Share Agreements facilitated through Chancen. For apprentices who need financial support to fund tuition fees.
- Artisan Business Programme Programmes that equip artisan business owners with skills to grow their businesses, alongside upskilling opportunities for existing artisans. For existing artisan SMEs in BluLever's connected ecosystem.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced dropout rates from 24% to 5% through Wraparound Support Programme
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BluLever Educations
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BluLever Educations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
BluLever Educations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Manati Student FundingcoreStudent funding partner that helps BluLever apprentices access loans from banks and alternative funders to finance their tuition fees. Streamlines the application process for student loans.
- ChancencoreInternational partner offering Income Share Agreements (ISA) that allow apprentices to fund their education by committing a percentage of future income after qualifying as artisans.
- Harambee Youth Employment AcceleratormajorSouth African organisation working to solve youth unemployment. Partner with BluLever on the WomenOnTools initiative and broader ecosystem development.
- SAYouthminorPartner for youth employment initiatives and reach into target apprentice demographic.
- IOPSA (Institute of Plumbing SA)minorIndustry body for plumbing professionals in South Africa, supporting industry standards and artisan ecosystem development.
- YouthCapitalminorSouth African initiative focused on youth employment and skills development, partnered with BluLever on ecosystem initiatives.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
BluLever Educations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Coursera: Global online education platform offering certified, employer-recognized credentials across many disciplines. Comparable as a credentials-based training provider offering recognized certificates to learners, though delivery is online rather than employer-based apprenticeships.
- Udemy: Global skills marketplace with a broad catalog of trade and technical courses. Comparable in offering practical skill development to individuals seeking vocational/trade expertise, but operates as a marketplace of self-paced online courses rather than accredited apprenticeships.
- ALX Africa: Large African tech training provider (part of African Leadership Group). Comparable as a high-volume, employer-aligned vocational training provider for African youth, though operating at significantly larger scale and focusing on digital skills.
Direct peers
- Andela: African-origin talent training and placement company that combines rigorous selection, training, and employer matching. Comparable on the apprenticeship-style "train-and-place" model and African footprint, though its skills focus is software rather than trades.
- Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: South African youth-focused employment accelerator. Highly comparable: like BluLever, it targets unemployed South African youth, partners with employers, and is connected to the same network (it is also a BluLever partner) — addressing the same demand-led skills gap with a different delivery model.
- Moringa School: African vocational school focused on tech and digital skills with employer-linked job placement. Comparable as an Africa-based vocational training provider that combines employer partnerships, project-based learning, and selection-based admissions.
- Generation: Global nonprofit training and placing youth in entry-level trades and tech roles. Comparable on mission (youth employment via vocational training), employer-matching model, and impact-investor backing — directly comparable as a peer in demand-led apprenticeship training.
- HyperionDev: Africa-origin tech vocational training provider offering bootcamps with employer-aligned curricula and ISAs. Highly comparable in GTM (employer-aligned curricula, income-share financing) even though its core trade is software rather than artisan work.
Others
- MerSETA: South African Sector Education and Training Authority covering manufacturing, engineering, and related trades. Comparable as the national body funding/regulating artisan training in SA, making it a sector stakeholder and indirect competitor/policy partner rather than a direct market rival.
Emerging players
- Springbok Academy (Trade Tested): South African trade-test preparation and artisan skills provider. Direct overlap on trade-test prep and artisan upskilling, though focused on test prep rather than full apprenticeships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BluLever Educations social profiles
Digital presenceBluLever Educations compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
BluLever Educations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BluLever Educations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
BluLever Educations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BluLever Educations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BluLever Educations
What does BluLever Educations do?
BluLever Educations delivers a 3-year QCTO-accredited artisan apprenticeship programme in plumbing, electrical, and automotive trades that combines campus-based learning blocks (3 months/year) with employer-based on-the-job training (9 months/year), culminating in a Red Seal trade test certification. Apprentices progress through a 2-month Leadership Base Camp selection stage covering residential camp, journey hike, and work-readiness classes, and pay tuition of R126,260 (plumbing) or R144,878 (electrical/automotive) over the three years.
Is BluLever Educations a public or private company?
BluLever Educations is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BluLever Educations founded?
BluLever Educations was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BluLever Educations based?
BluLever Educations is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does BluLever Educations make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Apprenticeship Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are bursaries, income Share Agreements (ISA) and seed Investment.
Who are BluLever Educations's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Coursera, Udemy and ALX Africa. Direct peers are Andela, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Moringa School, Generation and HyperionDev. MerSETA is listed as an others. Springbok Academy (Trade Tested) is listed as an emerging player.
Does BluLever Educations have an API?
No public API is recorded for BluLever Educations.
What industry is BluLever Educations in?
BluLever Educations's product category is Vocational Apprenticeship Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOABAG, Electronics Technician Training (Analog/Digital). Its NAICS code is 611513 and its SIC code is 8200.