Central West Adaptive Skills Hub
In February 2025 the LEEP team opened the doors to the Central West Adaptive Skills Hub at 176 Mort Street, Lithgow. This innovative workshop, maker space and laboratory has been designed for the delivery of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) subjects for local students, as well as micro-credential courses to provide the greater Lithgow community with access to skills training in topics to support workers in the transition to net zero.
What is adaptive capacity, and why an Adaptive Skills Hub?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines adaptive capacity as the potential or ability of a system, region, or community to adapt to the effects or impacts of climate change. Building Lithgow’s collective adaptive capacity represents a practical means of coping with changes and uncertainties and strengthens our community’s ability to withstand shocks.
In Lithgow’s context, one of the pressing concerns is the looming shift from an economy based on traditional, coal-based industry to a sustainable, net-zero economy. This is because currently more than 40% of Lithgow’s economy is reliant on coal or coal-related industry, and only 10% of the region’s coal is exported, meaning the region is heavily reliant on declining domestic coal sales.
The Central West Adaptive Skills Hub is a community-centred educational space which will provide an avenue to build the Lithgow community’s adaptive capacity by providing access to capacity-building and industry-aligned training to support workers in learning the skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future. It will also help pivot the education and training of the emerging workforce to STEAM skills – including a focus on leadership, teamwork, and innovation. STEAM is not just about university education and high-end technical jobs. STEAM skills are applicable to all jobs from primary production through to retail. STEAM skills create an adaptive workforce that is resilient to automation and the changing nature of work.
The Central West Adaptive Skills Hub is a collaboration of local schools, industries, unions and all levels of government (including First Nations governance structures) working together to create sustainable growth and long-term opportunities for the region. The Adaptive Skills Hub unites schools, industries, and government in preparing the region for transition of a Net Zero economy.
The LEEP team gratefully acknowledges that the Central West Adaptive Skills Hub and STEAM Pilot program in Lithgow are made possible by funding from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ Local Jobs National Priority Fund.
STEAM Pilot Program – primary schools
The goal of the Primary STEAM Pilot Program wass to deliver high-quality and engaging STEAM programs through a variety of integrated and authentic learning experiences developed to encourage and support student interest in STEAM areas of learning and to upskill local teachers in 21st-century learning pedagogy.
This was achieved by offering multiple teaching and learning pathways for schools to select between allowing teachers and students to improve and grow in their specific areas of need in a meaningful way. Students and teachers were given the opportunity to develop their skills in 21st-century skills such as filmmaking, coding, gamification and robotics.
Students weren’t the only learners – teachers are also participating in this professional learning opportunity. This program was specifically developed to inspire Stage 3 teachers to increase their use of STEAM learning practices in classroom teaching, and to provide their students with more opportunities to develop their 21st-century learning skills – preparing them for the future!
To find out more, contact LEEP Engagement Manager Jessica Gadd on 02 6354 9999.
STEAM Pilot Program – secondary schools
The future of work is shifting fast, we are currently moving out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and into the Fifth, and Lithgow is leading the way with a ground-breaking Drone STEAM Pilot Program, giving students hands-on experience in cutting-edge industries. With STEM jobs projected to grow by 14% – twice as fast as non-STEM roles – the Lithgow Emerging Economy Plan (LEEP) is investing in the next generation, ensuring our students are ready to take on high-tech careers of the future.
In the 100-hour course, students from Lithgow High School, Portland Central School, and La Salle Academy immersed themselves in the scientific method, computer-aided design (CAD), programming, engineering, robotics, and mathematics – all while building, programming, and piloting drones. Projects will also incorporate design and artistic elements, and creativity.
From Classroom to Skyline: Choreographing a Drone Light Show
In their first year of this Project-Based Learning experience, students have designed, built, and programmed drones, culminating in an awe-inspiring drone light show set to a soundtrack – a fusion of technology, engineering, and creativity. Students’ aren’t just flying drones; they’re be mastering the skills that power industries of the future, including:
✅ Scientific Concepts: Aerodynamics, motion, forces, properties of materials and conducting experiments
✅ Engineering & CAD: Designing and prototyping drone components
✅ Programming & Robotics: Programming flight paths and drone formations
✅ Mathematics & Data Science: Understanding flight dynamics and motion algorithms
✅ Innovation & Creativity: Developing drone performances
Students have gained real-world, industry-relevant experience in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, with lessons delivered across multiple campuses and hands-on training at the Central West Adaptive Skills Hub. They have mastered a range of technologies, and developed essential workplace skills in project management, collaboration, communication, critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving. This was more than just an elective—it was an opportunity to future-proof local students for careers in aviation, robotics, AI, data science, and engineering.
To find out more, contact the LEEP team 02 6354 9999, or Principal of Lithgow High School Dr Foty Loupos 02 6352 1422.
FEE-FREE microceredential Short Courses
Considering a career in construction, or deepening your digital skills?
We have a limited number of FULLY FUNDED places available in a range of Institute of Applied Technology micro credential courses – perfect for anyone looking to upskill, reskill or take the next step in their career in 2026.
If you’ve been thinking about adding new skills, strengthening your resume or exploring a new pathway, this is the perfect time to start.
Browse available courses: https://www.iat.tafensw.edu.au/Course-Finder
Be quick – spots are limited, and all training must be completed by 30 June 2026. To sign up, email an EOI including your name and phone number to leep@lithgow.nsw.gov.au