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 like a valuable and viable substitute for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was talking throughout an oversight visit for the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments while in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development during the state.
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 geared toward examining the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the nation, forward of the 2025 academic year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in attaining artisan capabilities as they offer wonderful entrepreneurship opportunities.
"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 issues about student residences and other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with more info the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered problems.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, tvet college courses without matric 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 long been accompanied by important senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student check 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 confronted via check here the NSFAS was in the spotlight through the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student coastal tvet college 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 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