5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges being a useful and feasible alternate for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was talking during an oversight visit to the post-school education and coaching (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development in the nation.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at evaluating the condition of readiness of increased education institutions across the nation, forward from the 2025 academic year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in acquiring artisan skills as they provide excellent 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 more info [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed problems about college student residences and other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the determined problems.
The Deputy Minister’s visit get more info 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 more info Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by key 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 confronted with the NSFAS was in the spotlight through the Free State leg on 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 website 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 orbit tvet college 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