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 precious and feasible different for advancing their professions.

The Deputy Minister was speaking through an oversight visit to your post-school education and education (PSET) establishments while in the Western Cape this 7 days.

Gondwe described the TVET colleges as crucial for job creation and youth skills development while in the country.

The Deputy Minister visited the West Coast College Vredenburg Campus, and the Cape Peninsula {University of Technologies (CPUT) Bellville Campus in Cape Town.

Gondwe's visits directed at assessing the condition of readiness of better education institutions across the country, forward with the 2025 educational year.

Through the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to choose pride in getting artisan skills as they provide great entrepreneurship chances.

"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 here intelligence], and coding," Gondwe said.

At the second part of the visit, students at CPUT expressed concerns about college student residences and various amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the institution to operate with the Student coastal tvet college Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the recognized 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.

Through the visits, the Deputy Minister has become accompanied by essential 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 difficulties website confronted via read more the NSFAS was during the spotlight over the Free State leg of 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," Gondwe said.

Gondwe embarked on the state of readiness here 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