Tamworth's leading engineering firms are joining forces to host a careers event that promises to be a first for the region.
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To be held on Thursday, September 14, the 'Engineering Trail' will allow anyone with an interest in manufacturing to tour several businesses with hopes of alleviating some of the area's acute skills shortages.
More than a dozen businesses have been invited, with big names like Obieco Industries, Belmore Engineering, and Apollo Engineering leading the charge.
![Ginny Fenwicke, Emma Carrigan, Karly Brogan, Fiona Sweeney, and Dave Errington are organising a first-of-its-kind open day for engineering firms in Tamworth. Picture by Gareth Gardner Ginny Fenwicke, Emma Carrigan, Karly Brogan, Fiona Sweeney, and Dave Errington are organising a first-of-its-kind open day for engineering firms in Tamworth. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/645a3ac1-a966-4a04-96cd-fd7e9ea9b561.jpg/r0_0_6776_4818_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Collaboration is a foreign concept for us, usually, because we're all competing for the same labour resources," Apollo Engineering's Managing Director Dave Errington said.
"There's been a lot of groups in other areas that do something similar, but nothing in the North West and New England region."
Mr Errington says engineering and manufacturing businesses in Tamworth are all facing the same problem: persistent labour and skills shortages that have only gotten worse in the last year.
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The goal of the Engineering Trail is to highlight the wide variety of career paths and recruitment opportunities in Tamworth's manufacturing industry.
"Yes we have metal fabricators and engineering mechanics we're trying to recruit, but we're also trying to recruit auto electricians and spray painters and other different cohorts," Obieco Industries' head of HR Fiona Sweeney said.
![Apollo and other manufacturing firms in Tamworth have been grappling with a skilled labour shortage for months. Picture by Gareth Gardner Apollo and other manufacturing firms in Tamworth have been grappling with a skilled labour shortage for months. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/2b0088bd-75f9-4ce6-b2f2-4dbee7666c2d.jpg/r0_0_6897_4751_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
To do so, the businesses have secured the support of the NSW Department of Education, Training, and Services in organising and funding the event, which will culminate with a 'recruitment night' at West Tamworth League Club on the evening of September 14.
The night will feature stalls set up by all participating businesses, information on early career opportunities from Training Services NSW, and a speech by Executive Officer of Manufacturing Skills Australia Leon Drury, the boss of the peak national body for the manufacturing industry.
Ms Sweeney said the event will be a "perfect opportunity to showcase what we've got here in Tamworth".
She said the most similar event ever to come to Tamworth would be the regional careers expo held in May, but that engineering trades can get "drowned out" at such a large-scale event.
In contrast, the Engineering Trail is designed to give apprentices, trainees, and fully-fledged tradies from near and far the opportunity to have an intimate look on what manufacturing careers are available in the Tamworth region.
![Apollo Engineering Managing Director Dave Errington, Belmore Engineering Admin and Finance Manager Emma Carrigan, Training Services NSW Skills Broker Ginny Fenwicke, Training Services NSW Senior Project Officer Karly Brogan, and Obieco Industries head of HR Fiona Sweeney. Apollo Engineering Managing Director Dave Errington, Belmore Engineering Admin and Finance Manager Emma Carrigan, Training Services NSW Skills Broker Ginny Fenwicke, Training Services NSW Senior Project Officer Karly Brogan, and Obieco Industries head of HR Fiona Sweeney.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/f6457ffc-2db8-465e-9099-6bc3af8e6d1a.jpg/r0_0_7143_4937_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Training Services NSW Senior Project Officer Karly Brogan said making the event open for both school leavers and established tradespeople makes it a "double-whammy" for students and the broader community.
Even people with only a passing interest in manufacturing will have resources tailored to them to "try-before-they-buy", Training Services NSW Skills Broker Ginny Fenwicke said.
"Training Services will also have a quick presentation on traineeships and apprenticeships and what's involved. We'll also have some pre-vocational training courses that anyone in the community can sign up for," Ms Fenwicke said.
Subject to the event's success, the open day may become a regular feature for attracting skilled workers to the Tamworth region.
"Talking on behalf of Obieco, I think we would be nuts not to be looking at this as an annual thing," Ms Sweeney said.
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