5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a precious and practical option for advancing their professions.

The Deputy Minister was talking during an oversight visit into the post-school education and education (PSET) institutions within the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development within the country.

The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits directed at evaluating the point out of readiness of larger education institutions across the nation, forward of the 2025 academic year.

During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose pride in buying artisan expertise as they supply fantastic entrepreneurship options.

"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 worries about college student residences as well as other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the discovered 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 get more info Technology more info (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

Throughout the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by crucial senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help click here Desk has also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The difficulty of funding and administrative issues confronted from the NSFAS was while in the spotlight during 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 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 special meeting of the Post Education here and Training sector held in January 2025, to establish the state of readiness for the tvet colleges open for late applications 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