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 as a worthwhile and viable choice for advancing their careers.

The Deputy Minister was talking during an oversight visit to the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions during the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development inside the place.

The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, along with the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits geared toward assessing the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward with the 2025 academic year.

In the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to get delight in attaining artisan techniques as they supply fantastic entrepreneurship alternatives.

"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 worries about college student residences together with other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the discovered 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 website Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.

During the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by essential senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the umfolozi tvet college National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk more info has also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.

The problem of funding and administrative troubles faced because of the NSFAS was within the spotlight during 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 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, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane letaba tvet college 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 check here Deputy Minister's oversight is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za