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 like a beneficial and feasible option for advancing their occupations.

The Deputy Minister was talking in the course of an oversight visit into the post-school education and instruction (PSET) establishments from the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as vital for job creation and youth skills development from the state.

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

Gondwe's visits targeted at evaluating the condition of readiness of better education institutions across the nation, forward on the 2025 educational year.

Over the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to acquire satisfaction in getting artisan expertise as they offer excellent entrepreneurship options.

"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 worries about student residences as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized concerns.

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 read more University of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom read more campus.

Through the visits, the Deputy Minister is 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 related queries on each visit.

The issue of funding and administrative issues confronted because of the NSFAS was during the spotlight through the Free State leg check here of your umfolozi tvet college 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 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 umfolozi tvet college 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