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

The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit for the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development while in the region.

The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the point out of readiness of larger education institutions across the country, forward from the 2025 academic year.

During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in buying artisan abilities as they provide fantastic entrepreneurship opportunities.

"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 website of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed issues about student residences as well as other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the identified challenges.

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 (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by essential 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 problems confronted with the NSFAS was within the spotlight in the Free State leg with the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order read more 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 get more info Nobuhle Nkabane at the special meeting of the Post get more info Education and Training sector held here 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