Overview
The Department of Education is responsible to provide Further Education and Training (FET) at public FET colleges in accordance with the Further Education and Training Colleges Act (Act 16/2006), ), inclusive of provisions of the FETC Amendment Act, 2010 The Free State has just over 14 000 students at four further education and training (FET) colleges, taught by 400 lecturers.
Maluti FET College
The main campus of the Maluti FET College is located in Phuthaditjhaba.
The Bonamela campus (Phuthaditjhaba) was first established under the name Monnafeela Mota Teacher Training College in 1975. The name was changed to Bonamelo Teacher Training College in 1976. This training college was offering the Primary Teachers’ Certificate. In 1985, the Bonamelo Training College was upgraded to a College of Education offering a 3- year post-school teachers’ diploma until in 2002 it merged with other colleges to establish the Maluti FET.
The Itemoheleng Campus is located in Mampoi Street in Phuthaditjaba. The campus first came into being as Itemoheleng Trade School, popularly known as Ambag in 1972. At the time, courses in motor mechanics and carpentry were offered and this was soon followed by the introduction of electricity and plumbing. The introduction of the N1 – N3 streams in 1979 was accompanied by a name change to Itemoheleng Technical Institute. The institute was finally upgraded to the status of a fully-fledged Technical College (State- aided). The offering of N streams up to N6 level came in the wake of the upgrading. Itemoheleng became a campus of Maluti FET College on 01 September 2002
The Kwetlisong Campus is located in the Riverside suburb of Phuthaditjhaba. Initially established as Manpower Centre in 1977, the centre was upgraded to the status of a Technical College in 1997 and functioned as such until it became a campus of the Maluti FET College in 2002.
The Lere Ya Tshepe Campus is situated in the Tseki area of Qwaqwa about 8km from Phuthaditjhaba. The Tshiya College of Education used the premises for teacher training (Senior Secondary Teachers’ Certificate) in the early 80’s. Later the University of the North used the campus for its Qwaqwa-based branch. In 1995 the FET Directorate opened a satellite campus of Tshiya College to accommodate learners who could not be enrolled at Bonamelo and Sefikeng. The satellite operated until 1998 when the teacher training programme was phased out and the campus became a fully-fledged Technical College offering Business Studies; N4 – N6.
The Sefikeng Campus is located in Tsheseng Village. The Campus was first established as a teacher training school offering the Primary Teachers’ Certificate Higher Primary in 1979. In 1985 the training school was upgraded to a College of Education with the same name. In 2001 the College was declared a Further Education and Training Institution (FETI) and on 01 September 2002 was merged with five other ex-colleges to form Maluti FET College.In the post-merger phase the campus was selected to offer agricultural studies.The Bethlehem Campus offers programmes in Business Studies, Hair Care, short skills courses and workshops (computer and marketing related). Ballet is offered as a non-formal course and learners enrol for examinations of the Royal Academy of Dancing.
The Harrismith campus started as a part-time satellite of Bethlehem College in 1996 but grew to a full campus by 2002. The campus operates from the Omega Building in Warden Street, Harrismith.
More information can be obtained at www.malutifet.edu.za
Flavius Mareka FET College
The Sasolburg Technical College, Kroonstad Technical College and Mphohadi College of Education merged in 2000 to form the Flavius Mareka FET College. The college has three campuses. The Sasolburg campus has two sites, specializing in Engineering Studies and Business Studies courses respectively. The other two campuses, namely Kroonstad campus and Mphohadi campus, are located in the Kroonstad area. Apart from offering full-time and part-time formal programmes at its three campuses, the Flavius Mareka FET College also offer a number of learnership and skills programmes throughout the Free State province in smaller towns, such as Heilbron; Parys, Koppies and Villiers.
More information can be obtained at www.flaviusmareka.net
Motheo FET College
Motheo FET College operates in Bloemfontein and Thaba Nchu. More information can be obtained at www.motheofet.co.za
Goldfields FET College
The Goldfields FET College was established in 2002 through the merger of the former Tosa Technical College and the Welkom College. The College operates from two campuses namely the Tosa campus and the Welkom campus with satellite campuses in Virginia and Theunissen. Engineering studies related programmes, learnerships and skills programmes are offered on the Tosa campus whilst the Welkom campus offers Business Studies and Services Studies.
More information can be obtained at www.goldfieldsfet.edu.za