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 being a worthwhile and practical different for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development from the nation.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward examining the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, ahead with the 2025 academic year.
Through the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to acquire pleasure in acquiring artisan techniques as they supply fantastic 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," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed concerns about here student residences together with other amenities. click here The read more Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve 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 here College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by vital 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 issues faced by the NSFAS was inside the spotlight throughout 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 allowances to eat and to buy hygiene products. This coastal tvet college 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, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za