5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a worthwhile and practical alternate for advancing their professions.

The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit on the post-school education and instruction (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development from the country.

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

Gondwe's visits targeted at evaluating the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, ahead with the 2025 educational year.

Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose pride in getting artisan capabilities as they provide good 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, college students at CPUT expressed worries about college student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the get more info identified problems.

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.

In the course of the visits, click here the Deputy Minister is 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 thekwini tvet college formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The issue of funding and administrative problems faced through the NSFAS was inside the spotlight throughout the umfolozi tvet college Free State leg of your 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 click here Nobuhle Nkabane at the 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