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 as a important and viable choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking during an oversight visit to the post-school education and instruction (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development during the country.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits geared toward evaluating the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, ahead of the 2025 academic year.
In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to choose pride in buying artisan competencies as they offer terrific 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 check here [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed worries about college student residences along with other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the recognized concerns.
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 colleges open TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by vital senior here 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 problem of funding and administrative problems faced by the NSFAS was in the spotlight in the Free State leg with 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 read more 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 and Training sector held in January 2025, to establish the state of readiness for the 2025 academic elangeni tvet college 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