Western Sydney Institute
Western Sydney Institute provides education and training programs for almost 80,000 students enrolled in around 1,000 courses per year.
The Institute has seven colleges plus the Open Training and Education Network for distance education. Three of the colleges in Western Sydney Institute share campuses with the University of Western Sydney (UWS) and the other colleges are close by making it an attractive location for those seeking Diploma-to-Degree university pathways.
International students from more than 30 countries are studying at Western Sydney Institute.
Living in Western Sydney
The western Sydney area which includes Blacktown – the demographic centre of Sydney – spreads from the north-western Baulkham Hills district to the beautiful World Heritage Blue Mountains.
The area is very culturally and linguistically diverse with many communities from the Philippines, India, Fiji, China, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Africa.
Students can enjoy the natural beauty of the area, along with city features including cinemas, restaurants, shopping complexes and cafes.
Western Sydney offers a good balance between study and an attractive lifestyle, affordable rental housing and lower living costs than other areas.
Student Support Services
- Counsellors at all colleges assist students with career advice, résumés and job seeking skills. Nepean College also has a Job Club to assist students seeking employment
- Student Association membership is available to all international students free of charge.
- An accommodation register of approved local families who offer homestay and rental accommodation is available from the International Student Manager
- International Student Coordinators at each college
- Childcare Centres at Nirimba, Mount Druitt, Blacktown and Nepean Colleges
- Sport and recreation facilities at all colleges
- Nepean, Nirimba and Richmond Colleges share campuses with the University of Western Sydney for the UWS Diploma-to-Degree pathway
- Students at Nirimba College and Richmond College can access the University of Western Sydney student accommodation on the shared campuses
Specialist Facilities
- Nepean Arts and Design Centre – Nepean College has modern, light, airy studios, computer laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.
- The Trapezium Gallery is a venue for Fine Arts and Graphic Design students to exhibit artworks.
- The Deefa Design Studio is a working studio where graphic design students gain first-hand experience with clients.
- CISCO Systems Networking Academy – Blacktown College Information Technology is a CISCO Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) and delivers CISCO Multimedia Instructions. Successful students may also take the internationally-recognised CISCO Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) examination.
- TAFE Entertainment Contemporary Music Centre – Nirimba College teaches contemporary music, music business, technical production and music theatre.
- The Digital Audio Lab has 16 stations, one per student. The Digital Editing Suite can be used for recording, mastering, mixing, digital video editing, music for the screen and live recording of student performances. There are three fully-equipped sound-treated rehearsal studios with a powered mixer PA system, microphones, drum kit, bass and guitar amplifiers.
- Training Restaurants – Blue Mountains, Mount Druitt, Nepean and The Hills College Restaurants are open to the public for lunch and dinner. In 2005 and 2006, The Hills College restaurant won the prestigious Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT Award for the Best Training Restaurant in the Sydney metropolitan area.
- Travel 2153, the Tourism section of The Hills College at TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute, was presented the Gold award in the category of Tourism Education and Training at the 2008 New South Wales Tourism Awards
- Sydney International Equestrian Centre – Richmond College provides equine studies students with access to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, a modern Olympic-quality facility.
Specialist Courses
- Richmond College: Horticulture and Equine Studies
- Nirimba College: Contemporary Music, Music Technical Production, Music Theatre and Performing Arts, Community Welfare and Children’s Services
- Nepean College: Arts and Design, Photoimaging, Enrolled Nursing, Fitness and Hospitality
- Blue Mountains College: Outdoor Recreation, Remedial Massage and Aromatherapy
- Blacktown College: Information Technology with CISCO Systems Networking Academy
- The Hills College: Hospitality and award-winning training restaurant
- Mount Druitt College: Hairdressing and Electronics
For further enquires you can contact the institute directly:
International Student Manager
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
117 Henry Street
Penrith NSW 2750
Australia
Tel: +61 2 4724 8291
Fax: +61 2 4724 8289
Email: wsi.international@tafensw.edu.au
Web: www.wsi.tafensw.edu.au/international
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