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 as a beneficial and viable alternative for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was talking all through an oversight visit for the post-school education and training (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development during the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technologies (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the state of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, forward with the 2025 educational year.
Through the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take pride in getting artisan techniques as they offer wonderful entrepreneurship prospects.
"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 worries about college student residences along with more info other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered challenges.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher thekwini tvet college education institutions in the Free State where tvet colleges open for late applications she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by important senior officers 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 problem of funding and administrative worries confronted because of the NSFAS was during the spotlight over 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 here 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 check here 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