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 for a useful and viable substitute for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit on the post-school education and instruction (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development in the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed at evaluating the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward of the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take delight in getting artisan abilities as they supply good entrepreneurship alternatives.
"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, college students at CPUT expressed problems about student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), here to speedily take care of the recognized 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 website Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the course of the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by crucial senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk has also click here formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative difficulties confronted with the NSFAS was within the spotlight in the course click here of the Free State leg from 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 esayidi tvet college 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 West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za