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 as a beneficial and feasible alternate for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit on the post-school education and schooling (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development during the region.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed at assessing the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward of your 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to consider satisfaction in getting artisan capabilities as they supply great entrepreneurship options.
"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 thekwini tvet college [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed problems about college student residences as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council more info (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered concerns.
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.
Over the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by crucial 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 here the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative problems confronted from the NSFAS was within the spotlight during the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances check here 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 more info other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za