5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a worthwhile and practical substitute for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit towards the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions inside the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development inside the region.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, in advance of the 2025 educational year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to take pride in acquiring artisan abilities as they offer great entrepreneurship opportunities.
"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 worries about student residences as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the recognized problems.
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 Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Throughout the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by critical senior officials from website 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 challenges faced from the NSFAS was from the spotlight in the course 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 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 tvet colleges open of action, announced by Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane lephalale tvet college at the special meeting of the Post Education and Training sector held in January 2025, to elangeni tvet college 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 click here being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za