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 for a beneficial and practical alternate for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was talking all through an oversight visit into the post-school education and instruction (PSET) institutions inside the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development during the state.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as the Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward examining the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, forward of the 2025 academic year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to take pleasure in acquiring artisan skills as they offer terrific entrepreneurship alternatives.
"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, students at CPUT expressed fears about college student residences and other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily take care of the recognized check here issues.
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.
Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has been accompanied by vital senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated Help Desk has more info also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative troubles faced via the NSFAS was inside the spotlight in 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 more info 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 check here 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 here West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za