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 being a beneficial and practical different for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking throughout an oversight visit on the post-school education and instruction (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development from the state.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits geared toward examining the condition of readiness of greater education institutions across the nation, in advance of your 2025 educational year.
Through the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take satisfaction in acquiring artisan skills as they provide good entrepreneurship possibilities.
"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 considerations about college student residences along with other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the discovered 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.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by crucial senior officers from Higher Education and get more info 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 problem of funding and administrative troubles faced through the NSFAS was while in the spotlight in the course of the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get read more 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 read more 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 click here meeting of the Post Education and Training sector check here 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