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 like a beneficial and practical substitute for advancing their professions.

The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit for the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this week.

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

The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits geared toward evaluating the state of readiness of larger education institutions across the country, ahead of your 2025 educational year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to get satisfaction in obtaining artisan expertise as they provide fantastic 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 get more info [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed fears about college student residences together with other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the discovered troubles.

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.

Through the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by key senior officers 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, assisting get more info with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The difficulty of funding and administrative issues confronted with the NSFAS was within the spotlight over the Free State leg from the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get more info 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 more info 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 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 read more next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za