5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a important and feasible alternate for advancing their careers.

The Deputy Minister was talking throughout an oversight visit into the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development within the region.

The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits geared toward assessing the state of readiness of larger education institutions across the country, ahead of the 2025 educational year.

During the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to acquire delight in getting artisan capabilities as they offer fantastic 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 student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered 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 check here (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

In the visits, the Deputy Minister has become 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 higher education related queries on each visit.

The difficulty of funding and administrative issues faced with the NSFAS more info was during the spotlight in the course of the Free State leg of your 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 click here 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 get more info other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the lephalale tvet college next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za