5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a important and viable alternate for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking for the duration of an oversight visit to your post-school education and teaching (PSET) institutions during the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development inside the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at evaluating the state of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, in advance in the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in attaining artisan expertise as they provide terrific entrepreneurship possibilities.
"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 worries about student residences click here as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered difficulties.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows here 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.
During the visits, the more info Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by important senior officials from Higher Education and Training, 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 problems faced from the website NSFAS was within the spotlight through the Free State leg in 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 umfolozi tvet college 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