Western Sydney International Airport supports Aviation Careers for Women Forum

Credit: WSA

Over 100 women from Greater Western Sydney attended the Aviation Careers Forum held at Parramatta, creating awareness of the variety of airport and aviation career choices available and addressing the perceived gender and culture barriers of the aviation industry.

The Forum, which is a part of the Empowering & Enabling the Women of Western Sydney Program, aims to improve outcomes for women living in Western Sydney by increasing their participation in the paid workforce within the broader aviation sector.

“The programme has the potential to transform the lives of hundreds of local women by empowering and enabling workforce participation, providing career opportunity awareness and guidance, and helping women build the confidence to take tangible steps towards securing a rewarding aviation career”, said Katy Hannouch, General Manager – Community Engagement and Social Impact at WSI.

Claire Delaney, Forum organiser from Flight Deck said, “We thank the Western Sydney International Airport team for supporting the Forum and for sharing their enthusiasm and encouragement, as well as for providing information about opportunities available now and in the future at Western Sydney International Airport.” 

Currently, close to half of Western Sydneysiders need to travel outside of the region for work.

Employment opportunities will be paramount in the local area to cater for the predicted population growth in the area over the next 20 years. 

Credit: WSA

“Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) and associated businesses will be major contributors to employment opportunities for Western Sydney residents from now and into the future”, Katy Hannouch said.

“Our current workforce is over 4,000, half of whom are people who call Western Sydney home.

“One third of our workforce are learning workers, and our workers are truly diverse, reflecting the multicultural background of Western Sydney residents.

“Although construction of the airport is on schedule and well advanced, there is still a strong requirement for construction roles and a strong desire for women to fill these roles until mid-2025.

“As the airport approaches completion and transitions to operations mode in late 2026, the number of jobs available across the precinct will increase, while the types of jobs will diversify into airport operations, customer service, hospitality and retail, providing additional opportunities for women in the area.

“The new airport is going to be transformational for Western Sydney. People will no longer have to travel to the CBD to pursue good job opportunities, these opportunities are being created right here in the west and women in the area will benefit greatly from the opportunities created”, Ms Hannouch said.