5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a precious and practical choice for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was speaking for the duration of an oversight visit on the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments while in the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development during the region.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits geared toward examining the point out of readiness of larger education institutions across the country, ahead in the 2025 academic year.
Through the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to just take pleasure in obtaining artisan expertise as they provide wonderful entrepreneurship opportunities.
"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 worries about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve 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 Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
Throughout the visits, check here the Deputy Minister is 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 the delegation, tvet college courses without matric assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative problems faced through the NSFAS was within the here spotlight through the Free State leg from the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student check here 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 Nobuhle Nkabane at the read more 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 other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za