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

The Deputy Minister was speaking for the duration of an oversight visit into the post-school education and schooling (PSET) establishments during the Western Cape this week.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development during the place.

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

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

Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to consider pleasure in buying artisan competencies as they offer good entrepreneurship possibilities.

"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 concerns about student residences as well as other services. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the recognized problems.

The Deputy Minister’s website 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 is accompanied by critical senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

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

The issue of funding and administrative issues faced with the NSFAS was while in the spotlight over the 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 to eat and to here buy hygiene products. This is important for their sense of wellbeing and dignity," Gondwe esayidi tvet college 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 being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za