5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a precious and practical choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit for the post-school education and coaching (PSET) establishments while in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development from the place.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward assessing the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, forward from the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pride in getting artisan skills as they provide good entrepreneurship possibilities.
"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, students at CPUT expressed considerations about student residences together with other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the recognized troubles.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education here institutions in the Free State where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of orbit tvet college online application Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
In the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been 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 capricorn tvet college higher education related queries on each visit.
The problem of funding and administrative difficulties faced from the NSFAS was while in the spotlight in the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to tvet colleges open for late applications 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 more info 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, 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