Learners encouraged to take a look at the study alternatives at TVET colleges
5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as a useful and feasible choice for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit for the post-school education and coaching (PSET) establishments during the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development in the region.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technological innovation (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits aimed toward examining the condition of readiness of bigger education institutions across the nation, forward in the 2025 academic year.
In the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to acquire pleasure in getting artisan capabilities as they provide excellent 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], and coding," Gondwe said.
At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed considerations about college student residences as well as other facilities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the determined challenges.
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.
In the visits, the Deputy Minister continues to be accompanied by essential senior officers from Higher Education and Training, and the letaba tvet college National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Deputy Minister’s dedicated click here 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 via the NSFAS was within the spotlight here through the Free State leg of your 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 more info 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 tvet college courses 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