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 beneficial and feasible alternative for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an oversight visit into the post-school education and education (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development while in the nation.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the state of readiness of greater education institutions across the country, forward of the 2025 academic year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider delight in getting artisan abilities as they offer good entrepreneurship prospects.
"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 issues about college student residences and also other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the identified 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, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by vital senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help more info Desk has also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The problem of funding and administrative difficulties faced via the NSFAS was within the spotlight in the 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 website 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 read more establish here the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.
The Deputy website 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