The Northern Road Employment and Training Hub at Penrith, aimed at training local jobseekers and placing them into apprenticeships and other construction-related careers as part of the 10-year $3.6 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, has been officially opened.
The employment hub is aimed at ensuring Western Sydney capitalises on the economic beenftis that will flow from the various road and infrastructure projects under the plan, including the Western Sydney Airport.
Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher said the plan is estimated to support 4000 direct and indirect jobs across the life of the projects, with the new hub part of the $190 million contract to build the Northern Road upgrade from Glenmore Parkway to Jamison Road.
“The hub is being delivered in partnership with Lendlease, to provide some of the region’s most vulnerable people with pre-vocational skills, traineeships, internships, trade qualifications and jobs with contractors and subcontractors,” said Mr. Fletcher.
“So far 910 full time equivalent jobs have been created through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan with the number expected to grow as work ramps up, so it is vital that training starts now.”
The Employment Hub is working with vocational education providers including TAFE NSW and government agencies to deliver the training and jobs to Aboriginal Australians, young people, long-term unemployed and those facing barriers to employment.
The Hub will provide pre-vocational skills programs, traineeships, internships and trade qualifications tailored to project jobs with contractors and subcontractors with the potential to extend to other nearby projects as work starts.
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