5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a valuable and practical choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking all through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development during the nation.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, along with the 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, forward on the 2025 educational year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take satisfaction in obtaining artisan capabilities as they provide excellent entrepreneurship chances.
"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 issues about student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the identified issues.
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.
In the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by critical 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 challenges confronted through the NSFAS was read more within the spotlight during the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are read more 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 website their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe said.
Gondwe embarked on the state of readiness visits following a check here plan of action, announced by Higher Education read more 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