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 for a precious and viable different for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was talking for the duration of an oversight visit to the post-school education and education (PSET) institutions in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development from the state.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at evaluating the state of readiness of increased education institutions across the country, forward with the 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in attaining artisan competencies as they provide excellent 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, college students at CPUT expressed fears about college student residences together with other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized concerns.
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 letaba tvet college Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by key 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 difficulty of funding and administrative challenges confronted because of the NSFAS was inside the spotlight over the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to click here 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 tvet colleges open for applications 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, click here to establish the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.
The Deputy Minister's oversight is expected to continue read more in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za