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 useful and viable alternative for advancing their professions.
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 essential for job creation and youth skills development during the place.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward of the 2025 academic year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to just take pride in obtaining artisan competencies as they offer terrific 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], here and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed concerns about student residences and also other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered issues.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows get more info 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.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by critical senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme read more (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 confronted with the NSFAS was while in the spotlight over the Free State leg on 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 get more info readiness visits following a plan of action, announced by get more info 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