Young people on the Garden Route have just gained a world-class springboard into the careers of the future. Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube on Thursday officially launched a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Centre of Excellence and three new Centres of Specialisation at South Cape TVET College’s Mossel Bay Campus.
The facilities were established through a combined investment of more than R24 million from the ETDP SETA, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (MerSETA) and the Industrial Development Corporation, with additional support from technology giants Intel and HP, SAnews reports.
‘A Vote of Confidence in You’
“This is not just money spent on machines. It is a vote of confidence in you and in the young people of this region. It says: we believe in your future, and we are backing it,” Dube-Ncube told students at the launch.
The new Centres of Specialisation cover electrical work, boilermaking and automotive motor mechanics. Electrical students will train in modern installations and renewable energy systems, boilermaking students will master fabrication, welding and computer-aided design, and automotive students will learn to service hybrid and electric vehicles.
“These skills are needed right now, and they will be needed even more tomorrow,” the Deputy Minister said.
A Growing National Network
The Mossel Bay facility is the latest in a growing network of 4IR Centres of Excellence across the country, following similar launches at Eastcape Midlands, Flavius Mareka and Letaba TVET colleges. The centres bring robotics, automation, artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing directly into TVET classrooms, and will help South African students train to international standards for competitions such as the WorldSkills Championship.
Dube-Ncube said stronger ties between TVET colleges and economic development zones will keep training aligned with real regional opportunities in maritime industries, energy and agriculture along the Garden Route, citing the partnership between colleges and the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone as a model for improving graduate employment.
For Mossel Bay itself, the launch positions the town’s campus as a regional anchor for advanced technical skills, drawing students from across the southern Cape who previously had to travel to larger centres for comparable training.
Doors Opening Abroad Too
The Deputy Minister also spotlighted government-funded international scholarships that many young people do not know exist. South African students are already studying in Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and China, and this year 196 students were awarded or nominated for scholarships in eight countries from a pool of more than 5,600 applications. Applications for the 2027 international scholarship programmes are expected to open between August and December.
“A centre without a path to employment is just a building. A centre with that path is a bridge to a better life,” Dube-Ncube said.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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