Higher Education Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe has called for the rebranding of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges. They believe changing the public perception of colleges is critical in driving increased enrollment.
The Deputy Minister led a South African delegation at the 2025 Education World Forum (EWF), held in London, United Kingdom. The forum is recognised as the world’s largest annual gathering of education ministers and policy leaders, focused this year on the theme: “From stability to growth; building stronger, better, bolder, education together.”
During a session on vocational education and skills development, Gondwe said the skills development offerings at TVET colleges must be enhanced and provide learners with future proof skills.
Many students still wish to enrol at universities instead of technical colleges and our community colleges. Therefore, I think we need to ensure that TVETs provide future skills that will contribute to economic growth and job creation, such as robotics, AI, and coding.
Gonde added that if colleges provide learners with skills that contribute to economic growth, more learners will choose to enroll in their courses. This will also lead to increased budgets for colleges.
In South Africa, TVETs and community colleges are often the second or third choice for students, and I think this is due to the fact that universities obtain a lion's share of our budget.
In a separate session on public-private partnerships in education, Gondwe highlighted the importance of stronger collaboration between the higher education sector and private industry.
My office has been working towards leveraging public-private partnerships to ensure that our students from the higher education sector can be absorbed into the economy as employees or create their own opportunities,
Gondwe added that these types of partnerships are critical to addressing the country’s high youth unemployment rate and align with the Government of National Unity’s focus on job creation and poverty reduction.
Learning from International Best Practices
As part of the visit to the UK, the Deputy Minister also toured Richmond upon Thames College in London, a public academic and vocational training institution with over 2,000 students.
The college, which offers a broad range of programmes, including Forensic Science, Carpentry, Aviation, and IT Installation, is known for its strong ties to industry, with more than 1,500 partnerships with employers.
Its courses are also designed in collaboration with these partners to ensure students are equipped with in-demand skills.
Former Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande reported that the TVET sector has seen a positive development with increased partnerships with industry stakeholders and funding organisations. This collaboration is crucial for ensuring that TVET programmes align with industry needs and provide graduates with better employment prospects.
Gondwe believes this type of collaboration provides useful lessons for South Africa’s vocational education sector.
This visit offered valuable insights into how colleges can work closely with industries and ensure our young people are skilled in areas that are crucial to the economy,
