Learners urged to check out the research possibilities at TVET colleges
5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has encouraged learners to evaluate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as being a worthwhile and viable different for advancing their careers.
The Deputy Minister was speaking throughout an oversight visit towards the post-school education and training (PSET) establishments in the Western Cape this 7 days.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as essential for job creation and youth skills development during the region.
The Deputy Minister frequented the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, as well as Cape Peninsula {University of Technologies (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at evaluating the point out of readiness of bigger education institutions across the country, in advance of the 2025 educational year.
Over the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to choose satisfaction in buying artisan abilities as they provide excellent entrepreneurship options.
"I'm 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 concerns about college student residences and also other services. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily resolve the discovered troubles.
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 has become accompanied tvet colleges open by key senior officials from Higher Education and Training, and the National capricorn tvet college 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 problems confronted by the NSFAS was during the tvet colleges open for late applications spotlight in the course of the Free State leg from the visits.
"NSFAS needs to get its act together, in order to ensure that student get more info allowances are paid on time with no delays. Delays cause serious challenges for get more info 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 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