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 precious and viable option for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit into the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development inside the place.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, along with the Cape Peninsula {University of Technologies (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at examining the state of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, forward in the 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pride in obtaining artisan capabilities as they provide good entrepreneurship opportunities.
"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," here Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed concerns about college student residences as well as other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the identified difficulties.
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 click here Deputy Minister is accompanied by critical 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 via the NSFAS was while in the spotlight during the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its here 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 dignity," Gondwe get more info 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, more info with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za