5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a worthwhile and viable alternative for advancing their professions.

The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit to the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions in the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development within the state.

The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits targeted at assessing the point out of readiness of larger education institutions across the nation, ahead on the 2025 educational year.

Through the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to choose satisfaction in buying artisan skills as they offer good 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 of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed issues about student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative click here Council website (SRC), to speedily solve the determined difficulties.

The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, website 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 continues to be accompanied by crucial senior officials from Higher Education get more info 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 difficulties faced by the NSFAS was in the spotlight during the Free State leg of your 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 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 get more info 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