Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe attends Education World Forum in London

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, led a delegation of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) at the recently concluded Education World Forum (EWF), which was held in London, United Kingdom (UK), from 18 to 21 May 2025. 

EWF is the world’s largest annual gathering of education leaders and skills ministers, and this year it occurred under the theme: “From stability to growth; building stronger, better, bolder, education together.”

Deputy Minister Gondwe participated in key discussions and engagements regarding themes such as girls' education, fostering public-private partnerships to drive innovation in education, and promoting vocational education and skills development as pathways to youth employment and economic growth.

During a parallel session on vocational education and skills development that included countries such as Mauritius and Macedonia, Dr Gondwe stated that the DHET may need to rebrand TVET and community colleges in order to make vocational education the first choice for students.

“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. 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,” said Deputy Minister Gondwe. 

In another key parallel session on public-private partnerships in education, which included education ministers from Paraguay, Botswana, and Hungary, Deputy Minister Gondwe advocated for the strengthening of public-private partnerships within the higher education sector for the purpose of enhancing the absorption of students in the economy.

“So, what my office has been working towards is trying to leverage 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. Therefore, I believe it is important to strengthen public-private partnerships in order to tackle the high rate of youth unemployment in our country, which aligns with the priorities of the Government of National Unity, which include job creation and reducing poverty levels,” said Deputy Minister Gondwe.

While in the UK, the Deputy Minister also undertook a visit to Richmond upon Thames College, a public academic and vocational training college situated in London, to gain first-hand insights into how vocational training colleges operate in the UK.  

The college has over 2000 students and offers a variety of courses, including Forensic Science, Carpentry, Aviation, Computing and Information Technology Installation, and Medical Sciences.  Furthermore, the college boasts more than 1,500 engagements and partnerships with employers and its various courses are designed by employers.

The visit to the college provided valuable lessons and insights on how vocational training colleges can work closely with industries and employers, ensuring that young people are skilled in skills that are in demand and needed by the economy.  

Enquiries: 
Sipho Stuurman
Cell: 076 965 4880
E-mail: Stuurman.S@dhet.gov.za

Fikile Moya
Cell: 082 507 2265/ 084 2000 815
E-mail: Moya.F@dhet.gov.za

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