The NSW Government is meeting the growing demand for construction courses in the Bathurst region with an investment of $1.5 million for TAFE NSW Lithgow.
This investment is part of a $300 million statewide program delivering upgraded facilities and equipment to 120 TAFE NSW campuses across the state by June 2024.
Carpentry will be offered at TAFE NSW Lithgow for the first time in 2024, with an $80,000 investment towards a workshop for carpentry apprentices. A further $119,000 has been allocated to new equipment for welding and metal fabrication courses.
NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steven Whan said these facilities will help meet the growing demand for construction and manufacturing workers in the region.
"TAFE NSW is providing learners with the skills needed for the next generation of construction and manufacturing workers in Lithgow.
"Construction and manufacturing are 2 of the top 5 most in-demand industries in the region and the NSW Government is investing in TAFE NSW to provide the facilities, training, and industry standard equipment to meet this workforce demand," Mr Whan said.
With the demand for construction courses increasing across Western Sydney, Mr Whan said the creation of a construction hub at TAFE NSW Lithgow would save local students significant travel time to surrounding campuses.
"Local students won't need to travel up to 40 minutes to Bathurst or 1.5 hours to Nirimba to complete their carpentry course. With our investment in the assets here at TAFE NSW Lithgow, we're establishing Lithgow as a hub for industry and manufacturing," he said.
TAFE NSW is also partnered with local employers, Thales, Energy Australia, and Centennial Coal to deliver training to apprentices through its Skills Centre. Skills Centre students get accelerated learning in their trade as well as developing foundational knowledge in a range of other trade skill sets, boosting their versatility as workers, and improving job prospects.
"Through our investment in TAFE NSW, the NSW Government's commitment to delivering a workforce with the skills Lithgow needs," Mr Whan said.
