New Education and Training Model open for business

The Western Parkland City Authority (WPCA) has recently launched the New Education and Training Model (NETM), piloting the first micro-credential on metal additive manufacturing in partnership with Western Sydney University and GE Additive. 

Penrith is a growing centre for innovation and advanced manufacturing, and access to quality education is critical to the future of our region. As we attract new industry and create new skilled jobs, we need to ensure people have access to the right skills, training and education to take them up.

NETM is a new way of thinking about learning that will support the growth of local business in the Penrith Local Government Area and is designed to help build the future workforce. The NETM is an industry-led model which puts our key industries in the driver’s seat to co-create training with education providers, with many of Penrith’s leading industries identified as targets for the program, which includes advanced manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, freight and logistics, defence and aerospace, and agribusiness.

The NETM will deliver small-scale packages of learning, or micro-credentials of approximately 40 hours, that allow learners to build knowledge and skills in a particular area aligned to their employer’s needs. For employers, this means access to an agile and highly skilled workforce that can meet the demands of advancing operations. For students and workers, it means access to lifelong learning and the potential for an exciting career that can evolve overtime.

The initial stage of the NETM program is fully funded by the NSW Government, which means micro-credentials will be free of charge for our local learners and their employers in the early stages of the pilot program. The first micro-credential, Essentials of Additive Manufacturing launched in August 2022, with both an online and face-to-face short training course, with both featuring a hands-on session at the Western Sydney University’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct in Kingswood.

Read more about NETM and how you and your business can get involved here.