5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a worthwhile and practical option for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit to your post-school education and coaching (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development while in the country.
The Deputy Minister visited 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 examining the point out of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, in advance of the 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take satisfaction in getting artisan capabilities as they provide good entrepreneurship alternatives.
"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], read more and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed worries about student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student thekwini tvet college Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the determined challenges.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in check here the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the course of the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been 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 issue of funding and administrative issues faced because of the NSFAS was inside the spotlight during 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 for their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe said.
Gondwe embarked on the state western tvet college of readiness visits following a plan of action, announced by Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the special meeting of the thekwini tvet college 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