Renovations at Westcol leave students frustrated

Westcol TVET College students have been left frustrated and uncertain as a result of construction and renovations taking place on campus.

Students are not able to do their school work or attend lectures, and some claim they were never properly informed of renovations and that the institution does not show any concern over their frustration.

According to the school’s student representative council head of academics, Kutlwano Ramphore, students do not have access to many vital facilities, such as the library to get their learning material or the computer lab to do research and finish assignments.

Some students do not have access to the internet at home, and it makes it difficult to do their work because, as there is too much of a commotion for them to access the labs, some days it is not permitted to use the lab as a result,” Kutlwano said.

The Krugersdorp News approached the communication officer of Westcol, Salome du Toit, who said that the purpose of the renovations was to improve it for the students; however, the extensive renovation will only be completed by January 2026.

The campus was earmarked for infrastructure expansion due to the continued growth in student numbers. Due to limited space, the old 18 classrooms had to be demolished to pave the way for the construction of 48 classrooms.

We appointed a multi-professional project management company to oversee the project, and it is envisaged that construction for the 42 new classrooms will be completed in January or February 2026.

“The new classrooms will double the campus capacity, and this has become more important as Westcol is embarking on introducing new programs to ensure that our learners are prepared for the world of work, embracing new technology. The project was planned to commence in 2023, but it was postponed,” Salome said.

The delay was due to the need to secure alternative accommodation for teaching and learning.

She also confirmed that the municipality assisted the school by providing a training center to accommodate the students.

To ease the logistics, Westcol provides transport for students from the main campus to the Chamdor site at different time slots. From the onset, Westcol management was adamant that teaching and learning would not be disrupted, and a registration process was followed. Students received constant communication regarding the matter through SMS, WhatsApp messages and briefing sessions that took place on the campus.

Despite using the Chamdor site, which is located in an industrial area, students have complained that the site is not up to standard and there is no clarity as to how the timetable works in between lecture sessions.

“Westcol contracted a security company to ensure the safety of staff and students, but there are days were we don’t have enough chairs or desks to accommodate students, and the school does not seem to care every time we raise the issue,” Kutlwano said.

As exams are fast approaching, he said students remain worried over their schoolwork.