5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to be a worthwhile and practical substitute for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit for the post-school education and training (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development in the region.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits geared toward assessing the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, forward of the 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to acquire delight in getting artisan competencies as they supply good 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, college students at CPUT expressed worries about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered issues.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher motheo tvet college education institutions in the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by key senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and read more 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 troubles faced with the NSFAS was in the spotlight during more info 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; more info 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 of action, announced by Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the special meeting of the Post Education orbit tvet college online application 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