Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today marks the beginning of National Skills Week. I rise to recognise the critical role that vocational education and training continues to play in shaping the future of our workforce not just across the country but in my electorate of Spence. In the north, we are proudly home to two TAFE campuses in Elizabeth and Salisbury. Both are eligible to service the people of Spence and South Australia with fee-free TAFE courses, because skills training isn't just an economic strategy; it's a nation-building one. It's how we make sure that Australians, young and not so young, get the training they need to build a life they can be proud of. For too long, vocational education was treated as the poor cousin of our education system, but this government is changing that. We're putting TAFE back at the heart of our VET sector, where it always belonged.

Through the free TAFE program, more than 650,000 enrolments have already been made across the country. Over 170,000 free TAFE courses have been completed. That's 170,000 Australians with new qualifications, new skills and new confidence. In Spence, we're seeing this transformation happen every day. We know our region has some of the highest levels of need when it comes to education. In One Tree Hill, Munno Para, Smithfield and across our northern suburbs, we've seen far too many people locked out of education and training because of cost, geography or lack of opportunity. But free TAFE is opening doors and even training the people to fix those doors. Local campuses are buzzing with activity. People are training in aged care, nursing, construction, hospitality and early childhood education—fields where we desperately need more skilled workers. I might invite the member for Grey to come and pay a visit to my electorate. I'll show you some of the fine young people working to get ahead in my community.

Let me say this. It is working. When you complete a TAFE qualification, you can graduate with the skills and confidence to walk into workplaces ready to go, ready to contribute and ready to fill the critical workforce shortages that have held Spence and other regions back for too long. The Free TAFE Bill 2024, passed by this government, wasn't just a piece of legislation. It was a commitment to every person in Spence who has ever thought, 'How can I afford to study?' or, 'I would love to change my career path, but I can't afford it.' It was a commitment to fairness, to opportunity and to rebuilding our training system from the ground up, because we know where the future jobs are. They're in housing construction as we work to deliver 1.2 million new homes, including right here in the north. They're in nursing and aged care to meet the needs of our ageing population. They're in sectors like renewables, disability support and digital tech, where demand is only growing.

While free TAFE is a national program, it's impact is felt most powerfully at the local level. In Spence, this means people can study close to home. Parents can study while raising kids and don't have to worry about a 30-minute drive, on a good day, into Adelaide. Older workers can retrain without having to start from scratch, and school leavers can find pathways that don't require a university degree but still lead to a great job. This is how we build an economy that works for everyone. We train Australians in Australia for jobs in Australia. We do it by respecting skills training as being every bit as vital as a university education, because, whether you're laying bricks in Blakeview, working in aged care in Andrews Farm or studying to become a nurse in Elizabeth Vale at Lyell McEwin Hospital, your work matters, and your training should, too.

The days of cutting funding to TAFE, of neglecting our public training system and of treating skills as optional are over. This government is rebuilding TAFE with purpose and pride. We're investing in TAFE infrastructure, teaching quality and student support so that people in Spence aren't left behind, because, when we invest in skills, we invest in an Australia fit for the next generation to inherit. We know that Spence has done it tough, but we also know that talent is everywhere; it just needs a chance. Free TAFE is that chance. So, during this National Skills Week, let's acknowledge the incredible work of our local TAFE teachers, staff, students, apprentices and graduates. Let's celebrate the sparkies, the carers, the coders and the chefs building their lives and building our region. Let's keep investing in people, in training and in the future of Spence. I'm proud to be part of a government that backs skills, backs workers and backs Spence.

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