5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a precious and practical option for advancing their professions.

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

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

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

Gondwe's visits aimed toward evaluating the point out of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, forward in the 2025 educational year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to acquire delight in getting artisan expertise as they offer 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 [Artificial intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, college students at CPUT expressed fears about student residences as well as other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve 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.

During the visits, the Deputy Minister has long 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 Desk has also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The problem of funding and administrative worries confronted with the NSFAS was while in the spotlight through the Free State click here leg of 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 websiteclick here 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 read more 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 here is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za