5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to consider the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a beneficial and practical alternative for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was speaking all through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and schooling (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this 7 days.

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

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

Gondwe's visits targeted at assessing the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, forward in the 2025 academic year.

During the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in acquiring artisan expertise as they offer terrific entrepreneurship options.

"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 considerations about college student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), letaba tvet college to speedily take care of 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 more info and the Central University of Technology read more (CUT), at the here Welkom campus.

In the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by important senior officers 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 problem of funding and administrative difficulties confronted via the NSFAS was during 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 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 western tvet college 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