A new $80 million building focused on the next generation of tradies has opened at TAFE’s Kingswood campus.
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, cut the ribbon for the new Institute of Applied Technology for Construction on Tuesday.
The Institute of Applied Technology for Construction facilitates a range of new skills for apprentices to utilise including a full civil construction sandpit, large practical workshop spaces, and classrooms.
Up-skilling and credential training are another aspect the Institute offers with programs ranging from project management, cost management, and risk management to administrative roles.
Whan highlighted the importance of facilities like these in the face of the trade shortage.
“We need tens of thousands of more tradies over the next few years, even just to replace the people that retire, let alone boost up to increase the supply of housing and those infrastructure projects,” he said.
More centres like the Institute of Applied Technology for Construction are planned in the future with Whan confirming the success of the model.
“We are getting cooperation from universities and industry to actually design flexible courses like micro skills and things that can help people to skill up. It is a model that is likely to be used again,” he said.
The Institute was the product of a partnership between TAFE NSW, CPB Contractors, and Western Sydney University.
Vice Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University, Barney Glover, emphasised the importance of the credential and skill programs being offered.
“The key to these centres of excellence that the State Government is putting together in advance manufacturing and IAT’s is all about co-designing,” Glover said.
“These courses, the micro skills, and the micro credentials are the future, so we can ensure that young people coming into apprenticeships and these industries can be equipped quickly for the jobs and not in fact be delayed or have difficulty getting access to the right source of training.”
CPB General Manager of NSW & ACT Infrastructure, Rob Monaci, shared the hope for more diverse people entering the programs.
“We all know we need more skilled people in our industry, and the construction industry is booming… we need to attract more females and Indigenous people into the industry, and re-skill people which is what the IATC is all about,” he said.
The Institute is now open and fully operational for all to learn a trade or up-skill in their current role.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.