5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a worthwhile and feasible choice for advancing their careers.

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

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

The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Know-how (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits directed at examining the point out of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, ahead on the 2025 educational year.

In the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to choose delight in acquiring artisan capabilities as they provide great entrepreneurship opportunities.

"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], tvet colleges open and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed considerations about student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the determined problems.

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.

Over the visits, the Deputy Minister has long been accompanied by vital 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 issue of funding and administrative challenges faced by the NSFAS was within the spotlight through the Free State leg from the visits.

"NSFAS needs to get more info 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 at orbit tvet college 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 read more provinces, with North West higher education click here institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za