Students from high schools across the state and TAFE NSW have gathered to develop new ideas for a sustainable airport business, as construction on Australia’s new international airport progresses.

Together with Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, Training Services NSW, and Adobe, the ‘2022 Western Sydney Airport Sustainable Strategies and Circular Economy Hackathon’ was held by TAFE NSW in Liverpool from 27 to 28 June.

Through a variety of team workshops and keynote speeches from industry experts, students gained valuable skills and knowledge in design thinking, circular economy, and sustainability.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher Fiona Lloyd said the Hackathon provided a unique opportunity for students to challenge traditional ideas of the airport experience and envision new futures for the airport and its surrounds.

“The two-day event saw students explore new ways of thinking and develop a variety of future-focused business models, products, and services for the benefit of Western Sydney International customers,” Ms Lloyd said.

“It was great to see students in business, aviation, science, fashion, textiles, design, supply chain, robotics, technology, and 3D printing from across the state come together to gain real-world skills and adopt a creative approach to problem solving. Working in teams, the students designed, developed, and presented incredible new ideas, each with the goal of enhancing the customer journey at Sydney’s new international airport.”

Western Sydney Airport General Manager Capability, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Lyn Osbourne, said the day was also an opportunity for students to hear about the thousands of jobs being created at the airport.

“We’re building an airport in Western Sydney and we are committed to bringing local jobs and business opportunities for generations to come,” Ms Osbourne said.

“Around 50 per cent of the airport’s workforce are from Western Sydney and around 30 per cent are learning workers with these numbers set to increase as we reach peak construction.

Ms Osbourne said it was also an opportunity for students to explore how sustainability would be integrated throughout the airport design and well into its operation.

“As students learned during the Hackathon, environment, sustainable design, energy efficiency and circular economy principles are key considerations as we design Western Sydney International and its Cargo and Business Precincts. ​

Training Service NSW Senior Project Officer Rhona Stone said the event was part of the Regional Industry Education Partnership program, which provides opportunities for students to learn about future careers and connect students to employers.

“It was encouraging to see students from a number of schools working together, building their communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills.  They all presented wonderful ideas at the end of the two days about sustainability at the new Western Sydney Airport and learnt about future job opportunities that will be available to them in the future”. 

Media contact: Emma Woodward, Communications Specialist, emma.woodward15@tafensw.edu.au, 0409 618 291