Indigenous construction company to build new $20m Aboriginal Centre for Excellence

The new facility will help young Aboriginal people transition from school into further employment and education.

The Aboriginal Centre of Excellence will be built on the site of a former high school in Western Sydney. Source: NSW Government

A new $20 million centre to help Indigenous school-leavers will be built by an Aboriginal-owned construction company.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Monday that Pacific Services Group won the tender for the Aboriginal Centre of Excellence.

The group was described as a 'perfect fit' for the project. More than 35 per cent of the company’s employees are Indigenous.

The full scope of services to be provided by the centre will be determined following community consultation. Source: NSW Government

"The Aboriginal Centre for Excellence will provide vital support for young Aboriginal people in realising their dreams in their chosen field of work or study, right in the heart of western Sydney," she said in a statement.

“It is so fitting to be making this announcement during NAIDOC Week, which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal people right across the country.”

The centre, which aims to guide Aboriginal students into tertiary education and employment,

was promised during the 2015 state election campaign by former NSW premier Mike Baird.

The facility is scheduled to open in November 2018.