5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a beneficial and viable substitute for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit on the post-school education and schooling (PSET) establishments during the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development in the place.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the state of readiness of greater education institutions across the country, in advance from the 2025 academic year.
In the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pride in obtaining artisan techniques as they offer 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 get more info [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed fears about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of 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 College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister is 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 issue of funding and administrative problems faced read more from the NSFAS was during the spotlight during the Free State leg of 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; thekwini tvet college 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 read more Higher Education and Training, Dr 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 check here 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