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 being a valuable and practical different for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit towards the post-school education and training (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as very important for job creation and youth skills development from the nation.

The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, along with the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits geared toward examining the state of readiness of increased education institutions across the nation, ahead with the 2025 academic year.

In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider delight in attaining artisan expertise as they supply great entrepreneurship options.

"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 concerns about student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the determined 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 been accompanied by vital senior officials from Higher website 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 problem of funding and administrative troubles confronted from the NSFAS was during the spotlight through the Free State leg from 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 tvet college courses without matric serious challenges for learners; learners need allowances to eat and to buy hygiene products. This is esayidi tvet college 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 read more and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane at the 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 get more info West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za