5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a worthwhile and feasible substitute for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and training (PSET) institutions during the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development inside the country.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed at evaluating the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, in advance of the 2025 academic year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider satisfaction in attaining artisan techniques as they supply great entrepreneurship chances.
"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 fears about college student residences here as well as other services. The Deputy Minister directed the here institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the identified problems.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the Free click here State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by key 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 problem of funding and administrative worries faced with the NSFAS was from the spotlight over the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, more info 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 website 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, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za