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 being a beneficial and practical option for advancing their careers.

The Deputy Minister was talking throughout an oversight visit to your post-school education and coaching (PSET) institutions during the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development within the region.

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 aimed at assessing the state of readiness of larger education institutions across the nation, ahead with the 2025 academic year.

Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to just take pleasure in getting artisan capabilities as they offer good entrepreneurship possibilities.

"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 issues about student residences together western tvet college with other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the recognized difficulties.

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 continues to be accompanied by key 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 read more related queries on each visit.

The difficulty of funding and administrative difficulties faced from the NSFAS was in the spotlight throughout the Free State leg from 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 more info 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, check here 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 being the next more info on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za