5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a useful and practical alternative for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit on the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions inside 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, 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, in advance of your 2025 educational year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pleasure in acquiring artisan skills as they supply great 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 problems about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with click here the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered difficulties.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the website 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 has been accompanied by vital senior 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 check here on each visit.
The problem of funding and administrative difficulties confronted via the NSFAS was during 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 paid on time with no delays. Delays cause serious challenges for learners; learners need letaba tvet college 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 to continue in other provinces, read more with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za