5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges being a worthwhile and viable alternative for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking for the duration of an oversight visit on the post-school education and instruction (PSET) institutions from the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as essential for job creation and youth skills development during the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward with the 2025 educational year.
Through the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in acquiring artisan competencies as they provide great entrepreneurship prospects.
"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, students at CPUT expressed fears about student residences together with other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative here Council (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered problems.
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.
In the course of the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by important senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk here 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 by the NSFAS was while in the spotlight in the tvet college courses Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to more info 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 said.
Gondwe embarked on the state of readiness visits following a plan of action, announced by Higher get more info 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, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za