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 like a valuable and practical option for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit on the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development during the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at examining the condition of readiness of larger education institutions across the nation, forward on the 2025 academic year.
In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take delight in buying artisan competencies as they supply excellent entrepreneurship prospects.
"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 problems about college student residences and various facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily check here solve the identified 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 College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Throughout the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by important senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student check here 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 check here each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative issues faced by the NSFAS was during 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 elangeni tvet college 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 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 Deputy Minister's oversight is expected here to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za