More than 120 local business leaders have been inspired by one of the world’s leading authorities on productivity and innovation in manufacturing.

Professor Goran Roos was the guest speaker at Bankstown City Council’s recent Manufacturing the Future forum.

“Local manufacturers need to add additional services to their operations in order to succeed,” Professor Roos said.

“If manufacturers want to succeed moving forward, they need to have something that makes them unique and customer’s want.

“It’s critical companies also look to add services to their traditional manufacturing operations as a way of adding value from their customers’ perspective.

“Local manufacturers can do this by strengthening their capacity to use things like nanotechnology, advanced materials, photonics, industrial biotechnology and advanced manufacturing technologies.”

Professor Roos also told the audience that ‘hidden champions’ or smaller based businesses were key to the future of Australian manufacturing.

“Hidden champions are typically family owned businesses which keep a low public profile with leaders strongly identified in the firm; are product focussed; and have a strong bond with their employees.”

Organised by Council’s Bankstown Business Advisory Services (BBAS), the forum was attended by representatives of small, medium and large local manufacturing organisations.

The BBAS is planning to hold similar forums throughout the year for various industries as part of its aim at identifying and addressing the business challenges and opportunities facing the city.

The Manufacturing the Future forum received high praise from attendees including Chris Elasi, Senior Regional Coordination Officer from the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

“It was a very informative event and I was really impressed with Professor Goran Roos and his presentation as well as the other speakers,” said Mr Elasi.

Research: Eight in ten students want flexibility to fit study around busy lifestyles

TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute (WSI) is commencing the first stage of a fundamental shift in the VET market by introducing an entirely flexible course offering - “Mix + Match”  which puts learning on the terms of the student by giving them the choice of how, when and where they study units within a qualification.

Today is the first release of what will be a wider range of Mix + Match products which will progressively increase throughout 2014 and 2015.

The innovative offering was created in response to research conducted by TAFE WSI which showed eight in ten (81 percent) students wanted greater flexibility in where, when and how they study to fit their study program around their individual lifestyle. The research also showed three quarters (75 percent) wanted the option of completing their studies faster by combining classroom learning with self-paced online learning.

Mix + Match will be available across more than 12 study areas* and will allow students to fit their studies around their current work and life schedule, with options to choose how, when and where they study.  They can choose to learn online or face-to-face – or a combination of these – as well as being able to fast-track qualifications using previous qualifications and work experience.

“Western Sydney’s population is expected to grow by more than half a million people in the next 25 to 30 years and will be the engine powering growth for Australia’s economy with the development of the Broader Western Sydney Employment Area . We need to ensure people in this area have easy access to training options that are practical and relevant so they are job-ready with the right skills to work in growth areas,” said TAFE-WSI Associate Director Organisational Capability, Ms Francesca Saccaro.

“We have undertaken a significant amount of research with our student population and industry partners across western Sydney to identify what they need from their local TAFE. mix+match directly responds to these needs, as well as aligning with the TAFE NSW Owners Expectations released by the Minister for Education as part of the NSW-wide Let’s Talk About TAFE research initiative. 

“The mix+match web portal has been designed to make enrolment simple, including the online shopping-style experience of selecting the modes of learning that suit the student. The flexibility of mix+match requires our customer service and educational resource capability to be able respond rapidly to our customers,” Ms Saccaro continued.

“In today’s market, students are demanding choice.  While some may prefer to attend their TAFE college full-time or part-time, others may have jobs, families and other demands on their busy lives, around which studying needs to be accommodated and that’s where Mix + Match is a great option for our students,” Ms Saccaro concluded.

 “TAFE-Western Sydney Institute has always provided industry relevant training that produces job-ready graduates for western Sydney businesses and beyond through regular consultation with industry reference groups,” said Mr Michael Sugg, General Manager Western Sydney Business Connection. 

“Western Sydney is a fast growing region that requires increased skills to meet the demands of industry. TAFE WSI’s mix+match responds to the region’s commitment to further education by providing students with the flexibility to fit study around their work and their lives, which in the end will produce more work-ready graduates for the region and beyond,” Mr Sugg concluded.

One of the students featured in the campaign for Mix + Match is 38 year old Eric Fanene who is studying Diploma of Mental Health. Eric welcomes Mix + Match, “The course I’m studying has made a massive difference to my life, I have just started a new job in the area of mental health, which a TAFE teacher helped me get. I want to encourage other people to be role models for the community too and it’s not always easy to fit study in with other commitments.  The flexibility of being able to combine what units I study in class at any of the TAFE WSI campuses or  online, makes it much simpler. There are no more excuses for not pursuing further qualifications.”

TAFE WSI’s Mix + Match courses will be available online at www.mixmatch.org, from April 11 on campus at Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Castle Hill, Kingswood, Mount Druitt, Nirimba, Richmond, Katoomba and Wentworth Falls campuses.

Students can visit the website: www.mixmatch.org, Facebook:WSI Facebook, Twitter: WSI Twitter or call [131 870] for information on their flexible study options.

Royal was the word on everyone’s lips today as the Royal couple The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent time this morning at Sydney’s iconic Royal Easter Show.

Record crowds and a perfect autumn Sydney day set the scene for the much anticipated visit.

Image Source: AUSPIC

TRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the Show just before 11am and were escorted by President of the Royal Agricultural Society Mr Glen Dudley, and his wife Jennifer to meet excited teachers and school children involved in the Schools District Exhibit Display Competition.

The Duke and Duchess talked to some of the children involved in the competition about the challenge of putting on a professional display, created from grains, fresh produce and wool.

President Glen Dudley said the Royal itinerary at the Show was designed to give TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge an all-encompassing Show experience.

‘’The couple spent some time viewing the District Exhibits and speaking with farmers, before officially opening the Southee and Badgery Pavilion, the new home of the Sydney Royal Show’s arts, crafts and garden displays, and the biggest arts and crafts competition in Australia,’ Mr Dudley said.

“It was a great honour and very exciting to host the Royal couple. They are the ninth visit by members of the Royal family to our Show over the last 100 years, the most recent being Princess Anne in 1988.”

The first ever Royal visit to the Royal Show was by HRH the Duke of York (Prince Albert) and HRH The Duchess of York (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) in 1927 when they travelled to Australia so The Duke could open the provisional Parliament House in Canberra on 9th May.

Following the Southee and Badgery Pavilion, Their Royal Highnesses Duke and Duchess of Cambridge moved into the Show’s Sheep and Wool Pavilion and were introduced to Fred.

Fred is a very large, well-behaved Merino Ram, who is now quite famous, having appeared in several television commercials.

However it was a royal blue evening gown that really stole the show. One of the highlights of the Royal tour was viewing the display of the gown designed for the Duchess by winner of the 2013 Wool4Skool program, school student Sophie Aylward from Orange. The task was to ‘’Dress a Royal’’, and Sophie chose the colour, style and shape of the dress with the Duchess in mind.

Lander Toyota was proud to recently sponsor the Team Ride for Awareness in which a team of riders including police officers and civilians rode from Newcastle to Sydney in a bid to raise money for White Ribbon Day. The White Ribbon Day initiative aims to stop violence against women.

The team successfully arrived at Blacktown Worker's Club at 6:30am Monday 25th November on White Ribbon Day itself and raised over $20,000 in support of the cause.

Moore Stephens Sydney West (MSSW) has been a proud sponsor of WSBC for 22 years. On the 1 May staff and partners of MSSW will join professional services firm Deloitte, based in the Parramatta office.

Stewart Thompson, Moore Stephens Sydney West’s Managing Partner, said: “Like Deloitte, Moore Stephens Sydney West has been in Western Sydney for over 30 years and our union will capitalise on a strong cultural fit, mutual networks and growth opportunities for both firms, for the benefit of our clients and employees.”

The majority of the staff and partners from MSSW will join Deloitte Private - a unique practice within Deloitte focused solely on helping private clients, private individuals or privately owned businesses.  The Deloitte Private business model delivers the best of both worlds - a dedicated team passionate about providing practical advice, commercial guidance and workable strategies; combined with the breadth and depth of a global professional services organisation - bringing world class ideas, expertise and solutions to businesses.

David Hill, Deloitte Private National Managing Partner commented: “Home to some 75,000 private businesses, Western Sydney is a vitally important and exciting market for Deloitte Private.  We are delighted to be joining forces with the Moore Stephens Sydney West partners and staff to deliver the highest value professional services to the growing number of private, family-owned businesses and not-for-profit entities in this key region of the Australian economy.”

Commenting on the union of the two firms, Deloitte Office Managing Partner Western Sydney, Danny Rezek, highlighted the ongoing investment Deloitte has made in the Western Sydney region over the past 30 years and its future growth potential. Deloitte Private is excited to support WSBC as a platinum sponsor.

For more information click here or contact David Mansfield

The event industry gathered to celebrate the launch of Sydney Showground’s bold new brand. The launch was held in the newly opened 10,000sqm multi-purpose building which is now operational for the first time since it was completed in early March.

The new brand comes with bright new colours and the tag line “Big Experiences.”

‘Big is what differentiates us in the market place and we want to ensure that all of our customers, their customers and most importantly, their visitors have a ‘Big Experience’ each and every time they attend an event at Sydney Showground,’ commented Peter Thorpe, General Manager, Sydney Showground.

‘The new brand has been twelve months in the making and involved extensive research and surveying of our clients, prospects and other key stakeholders. It was through this research and subsequent workshops that our ability to do ‘Big’ well was identified. We also identified other areas that needed a bit of polish or upgrade and have taken steps to address these as well.’

The launch of the new brand coincides with the opening of our wonderful new facility which takes us up to over 32,000sqm of pillarless event space. Both of these achievements show that Sydney Showground is serious about supporting the events industry and is prepared to follow through on what we promise.’

At the same time, the Sydney Showground website is being relaunched to reflect the new brand and new technologies with the ability to be viewed on any mobile device -www.sydneyshowground.com.au.

The brand launch preceded the Sydney Royal Easter Show ‘Arts Preview’ which had over 1,300 guests and was officially opened by The Hon, George Souris, Minister for the Arts, Major Events, Tourism, Hospitality and Racing and Minister for the Hunter. The ‘Arts Preview’ is the first major event to be held in the new building just two days before the opening of Australia’s largest event the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

One of Australia’s largest TAFE Institutes is leading the way with a new initiative designed to boost apprenticeship completions across New South Wales by assessing people’s suitability to undertake an apprenticeship before they start.

The five day ‘Trade Readiness’ program will give more than 1,100 NSW senior school students and those who have left school a chance to demonstrate that they have the skills and competencies needed to excel in an apprenticeship.

The voluntary program consists of four days of intensive hands-on training and assessment, with a fifth day involving literacy and numeracy screening, exit interviews, career advice and counselling.

The program will initially be made available to young people interested in an apprenticeship in carpentry, plumbing and various automotive trade areas and eventually expanded to include many other trades-based occupations.

The ‘Trade Readiness’ program was pioneered by TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) in 2013, focusing on skills including initiative, attitude, trade literacy and numeracy, hands-on skills and coordination.

It will be rolled out across TAFE NSW Institutes in the first half of 2014 with the financial backing of the NSW Government.

TAFE SWSi Institute Director, Peter Roberts said the program was a win for both apprenticeship hopefuls and employers.

“As it stands, only around 50 per cent of apprenticeships in NSW are being completed, costing both employers and apprentices precious time and money,” Mr Roberts said.

“The ‘Trade Readiness’ program will help increase the likelihood of an apprenticeship completion by putting more young people in NSW on the right career path to begin with.

“It will also provide employers across the State with the opportunity to employ people with the demonstrated skills and competencies needed to excel in an apprenticeship.”

For more information about the ‘Trade Readiness’ program and its benefits to employers please contact TAFE NSW’s ‘Trade Readiness’ coordinator, John Quine on 13 79 74.

The School of Business at the University of Western Sydney is looking for organisations that may be able to offer our students an internship or that may be interested in a group of students undertaking a specific project relating to their business. This may be in a number of areas including Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Management and so on. The students available to undertake this work would be final year undergraduates for the project work or, in the case of internships, generally postgraduate students.

If you would like further information please contact Warren Day on 9685 9103, mobile 0407 894 684 or email w.day@uws.edu.au.

Novotel Sydney Parramatta is renowned for providing individualised service to every guest. From the time of check in, to dining to when guests leave the hotel, the friendly staff are there to ensure you enjoy a memorable experience.

Novotel would like to introduce their newest member of the team, Kristiana Terkes, who is a true vision of the hotel and the hospitality industry. Kristiana joins the team with over 15 years experience in the hotel industry. Together with Executive Chef, Pierre Wong, they have plans to take the food and beverage department at Novotel Parramatta to new heights and create an exciting environment for both guests and their employees.

Kristiana has been with Accor Hotels for over 10 years, most recently at Accor’s 5 star brand, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. Kristiana is dedicated to going above and beyond for her conference guests and diners in Two Forks Restaurant and Bar, living by the mantra ‘Customer service comes to me as second nature, I don’t think about it anymore, my guest’s happiness is all that matters’.

Kristiana is a vision of Accor’s People-ology in action. People-ology is Accor’s art of human connection that sets the brand apart from others in the hotel industry, understanding loyalty is not about marketing gimmicks but rather recognising guests and making them feel special. Kristiana’s interaction with a recent hotel guest is proof of this vision. Kristiana had noticed a guest in the hotel that seemed visibly distressed and wasn’t having a great day. She approached the guest to see if she could assist, the lady explained the day she had and said she was waiting for her husband. Kristiana ensured the guest had a room to freshen up and stayed talking with the lady in the lobby, comforting her until her husband arrived to pick her up. Kristiana doesn’t just create experiences for regulars but for all guests whether it’s their first or tenth visit.

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, the team is determined to create an exceptional experience for all diners, and make sure every mum feels special at Novotel. Executive Chef, Pierre has created a buffet menu that is sure to delight with freshly baked breads, delicious, pancakes, hot items and a dessert spread of chocolate mousse, tartlets, cakes, Danishes and more. Plus candy buffet for the young heart!

To experience the spectacular customer service of the Food & Beverage team at Novotel Sydney Parramatta, be sure to get in quickly to book Mother’s Day Brunch. Find out how mum eats free plus book 6 or more adults to receive a complimentary bottle of wine*. For further information visit www.novotelparramatta.com.au or contact the hotel on 02 9630 4999.

Do you, or someone you know, have a great idea that you know has potential, but you don’t have the funds to get it off the ground?

Through The Telegraphs and NewsLocal Champions of the West grants program, your idea has the chance to come to life. Whether you’re an individual, group or business, you can nominate to be considered for a $10,000 grant to start your idea. You might be a community group needing funding for facility upgrades; or a sporting group wanting to purchase new equipment; or you work in the health industry and a grant will assist with clinical funding. The Champions of the West grants program recognises the talent, ingenuity, creativity and determination of Western Sydney. Find out more here.