5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to take into account the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a valuable and practical different for advancing their careers.

The Deputy Minister was talking for the duration of an oversight visit on the post-school education and coaching (PSET) establishments inside the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development inside the state.

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

Gondwe's visits aimed toward examining the point out of readiness of greater education institutions across the country, forward with the 2025 educational year.

In the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider pride in obtaining artisan capabilities as they provide wonderful entrepreneurship prospects.

"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, students at CPUT expressed considerations about student residences along with other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve 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 here Deputy Minister has actually been accompanied by crucial 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 check here of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The problem of funding and administrative difficulties confronted from the NSFAS was from the spotlight throughout the Free State leg of your visits.

"NSFAS needs read more 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 website 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 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 more info being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za