5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to be a worthwhile and feasible substitute for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking all through an oversight visit into the post-school education and education (PSET) institutions within the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development inside the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at evaluating the point out of readiness of larger education institutions across the nation, ahead on the 2025 educational year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to get pride in attaining artisan abilities as they supply terrific entrepreneurship prospects.
"I'm 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 issues about college student residences and various services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized troubles.
The Deputy Minister’s visit read more 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 University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Over the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by essential senior officers from Higher Education and Training, here and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s 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 challenges faced through the NSFAS was during the spotlight in the course of the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its more info act together, in order to ensure that student more info 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 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 esayidi tvet college West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za