5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges being a useful and practical substitute for advancing their professions.

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

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

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 directed at examining the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, in advance of your 2025 educational year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in getting artisan capabilities as they provide fantastic entrepreneurship possibilities.

"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 western tvet college coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed problems about student residences as well as other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized 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 Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

Over the visits, the Deputy click here Minister is accompanied by critical senior officers 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 issue of funding and administrative worries faced through the NSFAS was during the spotlight throughout the tvet colleges open Free State leg on the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get 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 allowances to eat and to buy hygiene products. This is here 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 get more info 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