Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The power of supporting and allowing all Australians to hone, develop and build their skills is one we cannot underestimate or ignore, for with great skills come a more-sustainable economy, a stronger workforce, happier and more-skilled employees and a better life for all Australians and their families who live and work in our beautiful country. We cannot deny them the opportunities that building and developing their skill sets will bring or employers a chance to have a workforce full of skilled, passionate and enthusiastic employees, thereby creating more jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships for jobseekers. That is what the Morrison government's $525 million skills package will make possible for all Australians, whether they are embarking on a new career or looking to reskill. It could allow a young man who has just started learning his trade to get onto the stepping stone he needs to forge a career path and unlock unlimited opportunities along the way, or it could help someone who has worked in their career for more than 40 years to develop new skills such as literacy, numeracy and digital literacy which would help them to continue to thrive at their job and to keep up with the evolving modern world and our economy. These skills are crucial to gaining and retaining a job or to understanding further education and training.

It is our role as a government to help Australians embark on this journey, to help them find and retain employment, to give them the confidence and skills they need to excel at their job and to help ensure that Australian businesses gain the skilled staff that they need to grow, to be productive and to be competitive. We do this so that the everyday Australian has the support they need behind them to shape their futures and those of their families, because they deserve it.

Learning new skills and building on skills that you already have creates confidence. It generates jobs and builds a stronger economy. It helps employees and employers to find new and innovative ways of thinking. It gives them passion and enthusiasm to do their jobs well. It will allow employers and industries to train a skilled workforce, and it will create countless apprenticeships and traineeships and jobs for many years to come. As a small business owner myself, I've seen all of this firsthand. I have seen what skilled and trained employees can bring to a workplace. I've seen businesses thrive with a great, enthusiastic team and workforce behind them.

Australians can now expect a better future, a more sustainable economy, more jobs and a stronger workforce on the horizon because of the Morrison government's commitment to delivering more than $525 million to a range of vocational education and training, or VET, measures through the Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package. We need to lay down the foundations that will help and support people to skill, reskill and upskill through their entire lives, for every Australian, young and older. This is what we will achieve through the Morrison government's skills package and further VET reforms. This package will allow the VET sector to continue to evolve and give everyday Australians the industry skills they need to prosper and flourish in their jobs and throughout their careers.

Since the Morrison government was elected, 1.2 million jobs have been created and 140,000 young Australians have secured employment. The implementation of this skills package will allow us to achieve greater and better results for all Australians and to grow our economy while creating jobs. This is what we will keep fighting for—a better Australia for all. I'm passionate about supporting the young Australians who live in the Longman electorate and about creating more opportunities for young people in regions with high youth unemployment to find work, build their skills, receive experience in the workplace and prosper in their career.

The time has never been more critical to support and help young Australians to build their skills in the workplace, give them training opportunities in order to succeed in their chosen career and help them to find and retain employment. More than 80,000 new apprenticeships will be generated over the next five years thanks to the new additional identified skills shortage payment, which launched in July for eligible new apprentices and their employers in occupations experiencing a national skills shortage. I encourage all businesses in my electorate of Longman to contact my office to check their eligibility for this fantastic program. Through the Morrison government's skills package, let us keep generating jobs, create a sustainable economy and workforce, and help our fellow Australians plan for their future and support them on their journey to achieving skills beyond their wildest dreams.

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