5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a valuable and feasible alternative for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and teaching (PSET) institutions while in the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development during the nation.

The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, plus the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits aimed at evaluating the condition of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, in advance in the 2025 academic year.

Through the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take delight in getting artisan abilities as they offer great 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 more info [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed concerns about student read more residences as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered 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.

In the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by essential senior officers from Higher capricorn tvet college 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 website issue of funding and administrative difficulties confronted via the NSFAS was from the spotlight in the course of 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 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 more info 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 West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za