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 beneficial and feasible choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit on the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development from the region.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, along with the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed at assessing the state of readiness of increased education institutions across the country, in advance in the 2025 academic year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to just take pride in attaining artisan techniques as they provide excellent entrepreneurship prospects.
"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 concerns about student residences and various facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student get more info Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the identified 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 Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Over the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by critical senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student click here 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 problem of funding and administrative troubles faced because of the NSFAS was inside the spotlight through the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are paid on time with no more info 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 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, get more info with North West higher click here education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za