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 option for advancing their careers.

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

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development within the state.

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

Gondwe's visits geared toward examining the state of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, in advance from the 2025 academic year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to acquire delight in buying artisan techniques as they provide wonderful entrepreneurship chances.

"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 considerations about student residences and also other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the determined troubles.

The Deputy get more info Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows her recent visit to higher education institutions in the check here 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 long been accompanied by essential senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the here 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 problems confronted because of the NSFAS was while in the spotlight through the Free State leg on the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student tvet colleges open 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 website 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