Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela is encouraging young South Africans to take charge of their future by applying early to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for the 2027 academic year.
With the September application window now open, the Minister is urging prospective students not to wait until January to begin the process, warning that delaying applications could mean missing out on available opportunities.
Manamela said young people can use their previous year’s results when applying and should use this period to research their interests, explore different occupational programmes and identify the skills they want to develop.
“Young people can apply using their previous year’s results and should use this period to explore their interests, understand different occupational offerings, identify the skills they would like to acquire and apply,” he said.
The Minister stressed that making informed decisions about education and training can play an important role in opening doors to employment, entrepreneurship and further studies.
TVET colleges are a pathway to opportunity
Manamela also called for a change in how TVET colleges are viewed, emphasising that they should not be regarded as an alternative only for students who are unable to enter university.
“They are not a second choice for young people who do not get admitted into a university. They are one of the pathways provided for in the PSET sector and central to the Skills Revolution,” he said.
The government is working to strengthen the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system by connecting education and training more closely with the skills needed by the economy.
According to Manamela, the goal is to create clearer pathways that enable young people to move from education and training into employment, entrepreneurship and meaningful participation in the economy.
Parents and educators urged to get involved
The Minister has also called on parents, guardians, teachers and Life Orientation educators to play an active role in helping young people make informed career decisions.
This includes encouraging learners to discuss their career interests, understand the different education and training options available to them, and consider TVET colleges as institutions of choice.
Through the government’s Skills Revolution, the focus is on ensuring that education and training lead to practical skills, skills create opportunities, and those opportunities contribute to economic participation.
“The message is simple: EXPLORE. CHOOSE. APPLY,” Manamela said.
Young people interested in TVET opportunities can obtain information directly from TVET colleges or through the Department of Higher Education and Training website.
Applications for the 2027 academic year close on 30 September 2026.
Young South Africans are encouraged to start early, research their options and submit their applications before the deadline.
