5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a beneficial and feasible alternate for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit on the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development inside the country.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the condition of readiness of increased education institutions across the country, in advance in the 2025 academic year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to get satisfaction in getting artisan competencies as they supply terrific entrepreneurship options.
"I am very encouraged by what I'm seeing at TVET colleges, I believe they are the future of this country. TVETs are producing artisans with much needed skills [and] also offer opportunities for learners to acquire future skills, such as robotics, AI [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed considerations about student residences and various amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to here work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered challenges.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central read more University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the course of the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by crucial senior officials from Higher more info Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s website dedicated Help Desk has also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative issues faced through the NSFAS was inside the spotlight throughout the Free State leg of the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are paid on time with no delays. Delays cause serious challenges for learners; learners need allowances to eat and to buy hygiene products. This is important for their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe said.
Gondwe embarked on the state of readiness visits following capricorn tvet college a plan of action, announced by Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the special meeting of the Post Education and Training sector held in January 2025, to establish the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.
The Deputy Minister's oversight is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za