“TAFE Western plays a vital role in the development of professional skills within our region, and I am very pleased that the Lithgow College is able to support the needs of local industry by running this additional course,” Mr Toole said.

TAFE Western’s Lithgow College Library is launching a competition called ‘Dads Reading’. The project is a joint venture with the Lithgow Library and Learning Centre on Main Street and is part of the 2012 National Year of Reading initiative. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 46% of teenage and adult Australians have poor literacy skills. Research reveals that one element in establishing better national literacy levels is men reading to their children.