Innovative partnership to boost skills

The Western Sydney Airport TAFE NSW Skills Exchange has been established on the Airport construction site.

Delivered under the Western Sydney City Deal, the facility will provide workers with the chance to be trained on the job.

The benefits of this partnership for our region will be long lasting as already 54% of jobs stemming from the airport have gone to local workers.

Western Sydney Airport Chief Executive Graham Millett said the skills exchange would be a major boost for local skills development.

“We want the entry level worker who starts on a shovel to build lifelong skills that set them up for work long after the Airport is up and running,” he said.

TAFE NSW Acting Managing Director Kerry Penton said the Skills Exchange would offer a flexible approach to training and apprentice mentoring programs.

“This is a responsive, flexible and innovative solution designed to meet the training needs of students, employers and industry,” Ms Penton said.

The Skills Exchange will equip workers with skills in areas including earthmoving, civil construction, safety and traffic control. The programs offered will adapt as the project progresses.

Image: Western Sydney Airport and TAFE NSW leaders try their hand at an excavator simulator at the new on-airport Skills Exchange.

Western Sydney Airport Chair Paul O’Sullivan, Lend Lease CPB Safety Coordinator Marlee Snowden, Lend Lease CPB Site Trainer/Assessor and Foreman James O’Reilly, Western Sydney Airport CEO Graham Millett, TAFE NSW Regional General Manager, Michael Cullen and TAFE NSW A/Managing Director Kerry Penton.