Basem Abdo (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) during National Skills Week, we recognise the importance of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector;

(b) there have been more than 650,000 enrolments in the Government's Free TAFE program; and

(c) there have been more than 170,000 Free TAFE courses completed by Australians;

(2) commends the Government's successful passage of the Free TAFE Bill 2024, supporting quality training and putting TAFE back at the heart of the VET sector;

(3) recognises Free TAFE is helping Australians to get skills in in-demand areas like housing construction, nursing and aged care, giving Australians the skills they want, in sectors we need; and

(4) supports the Government as it continues to invest in the Australian people by prioritising training initiatives like Free TAFE.

This week is National Skills Week, and it reminds us that our future economy and security depend on building Australia's skills capacity today. To seize new industries, meet community needs and stay competitive, we on this side of the House carry this week's message forward through policy and with purpose.

Since January 2023, more than 650,000 Australians have enrolled in free TAFE. That's 650,000 Australians who might otherwise have been shut out of training because of cost. And, importantly, more than 170,000 Australians have completed a free TAFE course—finishing, qualifying and having an opportunity to move into work.

These are not abstract numbers. They represent people taking their first step into a career in construction, nursing, aged care, early childhood education or cybersecurity, areas whose skills this nation needs. And these numbers reflect among them people retraining, mid-career, to keep up with changing industries.

This government promised to put TAFE back at the heart of vocational education and training, and we are delivering. Through the passage of the free-TAFE bill, Labor locked in at least 100,000 free TAFE places every year. This is ongoing and permanent. It's not a pilot and it is not a trial.

In my electorate of Calwell, we are fortunate to have institutions such as the Kangan Institute, one of Victoria's most important skills and training centres. The opportunities that skills and training provide matter, and this government is backing that in. The experiences of Kangan students show us why. Take Christopher, who switched from IT to automotive studies. He said:

I realised a career in automotive could be a better fit for me. Kangan's facilities and teachers have been excellent. My goal is to secure work placement and eventually find a job working with light vehicles.

Tamani is a mature-age student. She said:

Returning to education gave me a sense of purpose and the confidence to be a role model for my son, my nieces and nephews, and my community. I was a stay-at-home mum for many years and decided to return to education so I could better my life.

These are real stories from real people.

Free TAFE is not just changing lives; it is addressing national priorities: in housing construction, where apprentices are being supported with incentive payments of up to $10,000 to take on trades like carpentry, plumbing and electrical work; in nursing and aged care, where free TAFE is training the workforce we need to care for an ageing population; and in cybersecurity, where certificate IV and diploma graduates are already working on the front line in councils, community organisations and small businesses.

Labor is also delivering in other areas. We are raising the living-away-from-home allowance for apprentices, for the first time since 2003. We are increasing the disability wage support payment for employers, for the first time since 1998. And we have delivered the landmark $30 billion five-year National Skills Agreement with the states and territories, lifting skills investment right across the country.

But let's be clear about the alternative. When the Liberals were in office they cut $3 billion from TAFE and vocational education, and only earlier this year, in February, they voted against the free-TAFE bill. The now leader of the opposition even called fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending'. She went further, saying, 'If you don't pay for something, you don't value it.' Well, tell that to Christopher, to Tamani and to the 650,000 enrolees who have seized the chance to take part in free TAFE. Tell that to the student nurse in Victoria who has saved $17,776 by enrolling in a free-TAFE diploma of nursing.

Liberals don't value free TAFE, just as they don't value Medicare, the NDIS or public hospitals. They would rip this away if they had the chance.

Our national skills policies reflect our focus on some of the most important reforms in a generation, because, in a world of increased complexity, when Australians have the skills, Australia has the future. Free TAFE gives people a fair chance, builds the industries that keep our economy strong and delivers good jobs and secure livelihoods. That's what Labor stand for and that's why we will always back skills, training and TAFE. I want to acknowledge the work of the Minister for Skills and Training for his focus and commitment to this very important policy area.

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