Mthashana TVET College

Mthashana TVET College is situated in the Northern Region of KwaZulu – Natal and covers a vast area served by 3 District Councils: Zululand District Municipality, uMkhanyakude District Municipality and uMzinyathi District Municipality. Mthashana TVET College catchment area is characterized by high levels of unemployment where the poverty rate rises to 79% in some areas. The total population is approximately 1.4 million people where only 45% are employed, 7% have grade four as their highest level of education and 36% have no formal schooling experience. The lack of industry undoubtedly contributes to the above situation.

This places Mthashana TVET College in a unique position as a rural college servicing predominantly needy communities. This creates many opportunities but also holds many challenges. The existence of a college in this region serves as a glimmer of hope for many young people in the area by providing an important gateway to skills and employment. However, there is an increasing challenge of not being able to meet the needs of all the young people who have various ambitions. Mainly because the majority of students entering the college come from very humble backgrounds and as a result require state support in terms of funding. Over 95% of applicants qualify for bursaries from the means test. Another challenge is that some students entering the college are ill-prepared for college culture as a result they struggle to complete their respective courses, either on time or to even graduate.