Learners urged to examine the education options at TVET colleges
5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to look at the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a beneficial and practical different for advancing their occupations.
The Deputy Minister was talking through an oversight visit towards the post-school education and schooling (PSET) institutions inside the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development during the country.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and also the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits targeted at examining the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the nation, forward from the 2025 educational year.
In the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in acquiring artisan skills as they offer great 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 student residences and other services. The check here Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the identified difficulties.
The Deputy Minister’s visit to the Western Cape, follows more info 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.
During the visits, the Deputy Minister click here is accompanied by essential 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 difficulty of funding and administrative worries confronted via the NSFAS was within the spotlight through the Free State leg from 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," tvet colleges open for late applications Gondwe said.
Gondwe embarked on the state here 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 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