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 valuable and viable alternative for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit for the post-school education and education (PSET) institutions inside the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development from the region.
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 geared toward assessing the condition of readiness of greater education institutions across the nation, ahead on the 2025 academic year.
In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take delight in obtaining artisan competencies as they provide 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, students at CPUT expressed fears about student residences and various facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized difficulties.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the Free thekwini tvet college State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by vital 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 problems faced because of the NSFAS was inside the spotlight over the Free State leg from 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 is important for their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe said.
Gondwe umfolozi tvet college 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, check here to establish the state of readiness here for the 2025 academic year.
The Deputy Minister's oversight is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being click here the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za