Learners urged to investigate the research alternatives at TVET colleges
5th February 2025
Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, has inspired learners to think about the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for a important and practical alternative for advancing their professions.
The Deputy Minister was speaking in the course of an oversight visit towards the post-school education and teaching (PSET) establishments within the Western Cape this week.
Gondwe described the TVET colleges as critical for job creation and youth skills development from the place.
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 targeted at evaluating the condition of readiness of greater education institutions across the country, in advance of the 2025 educational year.
Throughout the visit at West Coast College, she inspired learners to just take satisfaction in acquiring artisan skills as they provide excellent entrepreneurship possibilities.
"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, students at CPUT expressed considerations about college student residences and also other amenities. The Deputy Minister directed the establishment to work with the Student Representative Council (SRC), to speedily solve the discovered concerns.
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.
Over the visits, the Deputy Minister is accompanied by critical senior officers here 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 difficulties confronted because of the NSFAS was in the spotlight throughout the Free State leg in the visits.
"NSFAS needs get more info 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 read more 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 sedibeng tvet college readiness for the 2025 elangeni tvet college 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