5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges like a useful and viable alternate for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was speaking all through an oversight visit for the post-school education and training (PSET) institutions while in the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development from the nation.

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

Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the condition of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, in advance with the 2025 educational year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in buying artisan capabilities as they provide excellent entrepreneurship options.

"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, college students at CPUT expressed problems about student residences as well as other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve 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 has been accompanied by critical senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk orbit tvet college has also formed part 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 here Free State leg with 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 here 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 here 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 read more is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za