5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a useful and viable substitute for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking all through an oversight visit to the post-school education and instruction (PSET) institutions during the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development inside the nation.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward assessing the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the nation, ahead with the 2025 academic year.
In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to acquire satisfaction in attaining artisan expertise as they supply excellent 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 worries about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with more info the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve here the recognized troubles.
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.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by critical 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 issues faced because of the NSFAS was while in the spotlight over the Free State leg on the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that click here 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 Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the umfolozi tvet college 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