Construction centre of excellence coming to New West

The Western Sydney Construction Hub will be built in Kingswood, creating a centre of excellence for construction trades.

 The $80 million facility will be built within the existing TAFE NSW Nepean campus and will see collaboration between universities and TAFE NSW on the creation of courses. Western Sydney University, which also has a campus in Kingswood, is one of four universities linked to the construction hub.

The location for the construction hub was announced by Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee with Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres at TAFE NSW Nepean on 19 June.

The announcement marks the achievement of a key aspiration to come from Council’s Mayoral Skills Summit in 2019. The construction industry employed more of Penrith’s resident workforce than any other single industry and continues to be a growth industry in the region. The new facility will provide training for 700 students each year in high demand trades such as electrical, carpentry, construction, and plumbing.

"The Western Sydney Construction Hub will help to deliver the skilled workers needed for major construction projects such as the Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis, and the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport," Mr Ayres said.

The workforce of Penrith New West is already upskilling at a higher rate than Greater Sydney; with higher education qualifications increasing by over 5% in the four years to 2016. This new facility will further boost the opportunities for the local workforce to gain the skills necessary to build the city of the future.

The Western Sydney Construction Hub is scheduled to be ready in 2023.