Department of Higher Education welcomes new members
Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande wants to give skills and dignity to young people who are unable to go to universities.
It was an exciting moment for the Department of Higher Education and Training as Minister Blade Nzimande officially welcomed 38 000 staff from Adult Education Training (AET) Centres and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Colleges into his portfolio.
The welcoming ceremony procedures were held at the South West Gauteng TVET College Molapo Campus.
Also present at the festivities was the Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, Deputy Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Comfort Manana and the Director General of the department Gwebinkundla Qonde among other government officials and principals of these institutions.
The minister officially welcomed the staff of these centres and colleges into the department saying this was an important day for the department and the country as it was the completion of a phase and the transfer of the officially bringing in the (AET) Centres and (TVET) Colleges staff into the department.
Nzimande said approximately 38 000 employees were joining their department as on April 1.
He said this is imperative as these employees formed part of the base of TVET Colleges and soon to be launched Community College systems.
“We are not saying universities are not important, but need to absorb the hundreds and thousands of young people sitting at home just because they have not gone to universities.
“It is important for us to also cater for all those other young people including those that do not pass their high school by giving them skills they can use, so they can provide for themselves.
“This is where these TVET Colleges and AET Centres will come into play,” Nzimande said.
He said they were also aware that there are people at AET Centres who require academic knowledge, others just needed skills which is why Community Colleges were just as important.
He said there are a lot of people in the townships who provide services but without official training, hence there is a need for facilities where they could be trained so they can officially get qualified and be accredited to the jobs done by bigger companies in urban areas.
“These TVET Colleges will be able to work at giving skills and dignity to the young and old people who need skills but cannot go to universities,” he said.
Lesufi outlined on the revitalisation of township economies and said that these young people from these colleges can also be used to growing the country’s economy.
