EWC Hosts Ministerial Event

01 August 2012

On 01 August 2012, EWC's Germiston Campus hosted a ministerial event, where the Minister of Higher Education and Training officially handed over allocation certificates worth R2.5 billion to FET Colleges for their expansion and capacity building development programmes.

In his address, the department's Director-General, Mr Gwebinkundla Qonde, said the increase in pass rates, especially for NC(V), was a result of support programmes and that this indicated that results would increase further this year. Mr Qonde said that the department is engaging with universities to develop programmes to train FET college lecturers and he also stated that that department hopes that skills development in academic staff will continue to rise. 

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, said that the project that the department is launching represents a massive investment of R2.5 billion in National Skills Funding dedicated solely to the 50 FET colleges for their programme related activities. 

"Our expectation of the FET system is that it must be a driver and catalyst for community development, tackle unemployment and poverty head on. We expect that FET colleges will reach out to communities, especially young people, and offer them these opportunities. Over the long term we would like to see FET colleges as a partner of choice (for SETA and NSF) to roll out skills development on a massive scale," said the Minister.

In conclusion, he said that this initiative is a unique opportunity to turn our colleges around. It is an historic opportunity that should be grabbed with both hands, for the sake of our youth and future generations.

Minister of Higher Education and Training,  Dr Blade Nzimande, addressing the FET  College Councils and Principals..	Director General of Higher Education, Gwebinkundla Qonde addressing the FET College Councils and Principals.