Learners urged to check out the education alternatives at TVET colleges
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 like a worthwhile and practical option for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit to the post-school education and teaching (PSET) institutions in the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe explained the TVET colleges as important for job creation and youth skills development within the state.
The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Engineering (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.
Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the condition of readiness of higher education institutions across the country, forward of your 2025 educational year.
During the visit at West Coast College, she encouraged learners to consider satisfaction in getting artisan techniques as they provide good entrepreneurship alternatives.
"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 fears about college student residences and tvet colleges open various amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the identified 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 click here of Technology (CUT), at the Welkom campus.
During 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 also formed part of the delegation, assisting with all higher education related queries on each visit.
The issue of funding and administrative worries faced via get more info the NSFAS was from the spotlight over 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 tvet college courses without matric 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 motheo tvet college oversight is expected to continue in other provinces, with North West higher education institutions being the next on the list.
– SAnews.gov.za