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 as being a important and viable different for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development during 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 evaluating the condition of readiness of increased education institutions across the country, ahead in the 2025 academic year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider satisfaction in buying artisan competencies as they offer terrific entrepreneurship prospects.
"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 check here at CPUT expressed fears about college student residences along with other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the recognized problems.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in tvet college courses without matric the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by crucial 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 on each visit.
The problem of funding and administrative difficulties confronted from the NSFAS was more info inside the spotlight over the Free State leg in 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 tvet colleges open for late applications and get more info 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, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za