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 as a worthwhile and practical option for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments during the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development in the nation.

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

Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, in advance on the 2025 educational year.

In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pride in acquiring artisan capabilities as they provide good entrepreneurship possibilities.

"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], and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed worries about college student residences together with other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student get more info Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the determined issues.

The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the Free State tvet college courses without matric where she visited Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

In the course of the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by vital senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk has more info also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The problem click here of funding and administrative difficulties confronted because of the NSFAS was while in the spotlight through 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; 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 tvet colleges open for late applications 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