5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a important and feasible alternative for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit to the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions while in the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development in the place.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward evaluating the point out of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, in advance of the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to consider pride in getting artisan capabilities as they provide excellent entrepreneurship options.
"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, students at CPUT expressed concerns about college student residences and various amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered issues.
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 read more Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Throughout the visits, the Deputy Minister has long here been accompanied by critical senior officials 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 troubles confronted with the NSFAS was within the spotlight during the Free State leg with the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are paid website 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 click here 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 click here 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