5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a worthwhile and feasible choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit into the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as essential for job creation and youth skills development in the state.
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 targeted at evaluating the state of readiness of higher education institutions across the nation, forward in the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in acquiring artisan skills as they provide terrific entrepreneurship chances.
"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 issues about student residences and motheo tvet college other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the identified challenges.
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.
Over the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by important 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 issue of funding and administrative elangeni tvet college troubles faced with the NSFAS was in the spotlight through 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 check here with no delays. Delays cause serious challenges for learners; learners need allowances to eat and to buy click here 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 read more 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