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 worthwhile and practical option for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was talking in the course of an oversight visit to your post-school education and training (PSET) institutions while in the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development inside the place.

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

Gondwe's visits aimed at assessing the state of readiness of larger education institutions across the country, forward on the 2025 academic year.

In the course of the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in attaining artisan capabilities 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 amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to western tvet college speedily resolve the identified 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, here the Deputy Minister is accompanied by crucial senior officials 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 difficulty of funding and administrative troubles faced from the NSFAS was in the spotlight over the Free State leg on the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student allowances are paid on time with no capricorn tvet college delays. Delays cause serious challenges for learners; learners need allowances to eat and get more info 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 held in January 2025, to establish the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.

The Deputy Minister's here oversight is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za