Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the importance of National Skills Week and to acknowledge the critical role skills, training and vocational education have in the lives of Australians, particularly in my electorate of Moore. This week is more than a celebration; it's a reminder of how deeply skills shape our economy, our communities and the dignity of work.

As someone who began working as an electrician before studying law, I understand firsthand the value of practical, hands-on skills. When you've stood on a job site at six in the morning and wired a switchboard or guided an apprentice, you appreciate what training really means. Vocational education opens doors, not just to employment but to lifelong opportunity and resilience.

In Moore, from Joondalup to Duncraig, Mullaloo to Ocean Reef, our communities rely on skilled workers. These are not abstract categories; they are apprentices on the tools in construction, hospitality staff serving in our cafes and restaurants, healthcare professionals caring for patients in our hospitals, and educators shaping young minds in our schools. Skills training underpins the prosperity of our region and provides the backbone of our local economy.

National Skills Week provides a moment to reaffirm our government's commitment to supporting training pathways that deliver real jobs closer to home. When skills are taught locally, people stay locally and communities thrive. This is particularly important in electorates like mine, where many residents both work and raise their families in the same suburbs they grew up in. We are fortunate to have the Joondalup Learning Precinct at the heart of Moore, bringing together Edith Cowan University, North Metropolitan TAFE and the Western Australia Police Academy. This precinct is a model of how education, training and professional development can coexist in one hub. These institutions are not just neighbours; they collaborate. One example is the Joondalup Learning Precinct Mentoring Program, which connects staff across all three institutions to share knowledge, strengthen relationships and support workplace performance. It is exactly this kind of joined-up thinking that ensures our education and training ecosystem keeps pace with the needs of students and employers.

North Metropolitan TAFE's Joondalup campuses deliver outstanding practical training. At the Kendrew Crescent campus, students enrol in cutting-edge programs including the recently completed $21.3 million electric vehicle training centre. This facility teaches maintenance of hybrid and electric vehicles with industry-standard tools and simulators, preparing students for the clean transport future that is already arriving in our suburbs.

Just minutes away, at the McLarty Avenue campus, a fully functional simulation hospital gives nursing and health students real-world experience in a hospital-like setting. Students practice not just clinical skills but teamwork, communication and crisis management—skills every patient and every family depend upon. These facilities prepare students for the evolving needs of employers in modern workplaces, ensuring graduates are job ready from day one.

At Edith Cowan University's Joondalup campus, students benefit from world-class infrastructure. A new health and wellness building, an award-winning library and hub, and even an on-campus outdoor cinema contribute to the vibrant student life. Situated in our learning precinct and accessible by public transport, ECU demonstrates that higher education is not just about lectures; it is about creating an environment where students and staff can collaborate, innovate and succeed.

And then there is the Western Australia Police Academy. Recruits there undergo a rigorous 28-week training program that blends theory with extensive practical skills, from physical preparedness and emergency response to criminal investigations and leadership development. The academy does not just produce police officers; it produces professionals trained to serve, protect and lead.

Skills are not built by institutions alone. I wish to acknowledge small businesses across Joondalup and Wanneroo that take on apprentices and trainees, often at great cost to their bottom line. But they have an eye on the future of their industries, and these businesses are classrooms in their own right. Community organisations also play a critical role. Groups such as Motion by the Ocean, Dadbury, North Beach Scout Group and the St Vincent de Paul Society lead, mentor and create environments where young people can learn responsibility and resilience. Parents, carers and students themselves also embody the spirit of National Skills Week when they embrace these opportunities and commit to building a better future through training.

This year's skills week aligns with the Albanese Labor government's record investment in vocational training. Through a partnership with the Cook government in WA, we are doubling the Strategic Industries Fund, positioning Western Australia to attract advanced manufacturing, defence and clean energy projects. These industries do not arrive without workers. Every renewable energy project needs electricians and engineers. Every advanced manufacturer needs fitters, machinists and technicians. Every hospital expansion needs nurses, aged-care workers and allied health professionals.

Our government is making training more accessible through fee-free TAFE and VET places. Already, thousands of Western Australians have taken up these spaces—people who might otherwise have been priced out of training. By removing cost barriers, we are opening doors to those who want to skill up, change careers or return to the workforce. We're also strengthening pathways between schools and training providers, ensuring that young people can transition smoothly into apprenticeships and traineeships. A student in year 11 today can step directly into a VET course tomorrow and into secure work the year after. These are not abstract policies. They are real investments that will help the people of Moore secure good jobs and help local businesses find the skilled workforce they need.

Skills matter because they give individuals agency over their lives. A trade certificate, a nursing diploma or a hospitality qualification is not just a piece of paper. It is security, mobility and dignity. Skills matter because they strengthen families. When a parent has stable work, children benefit from security and opportunity. When a young person gains a trade, they gain independence and pride. Skills matter because they strengthen businesses. Small businesses in Moore tell me repeatedly that access to trained staff is the difference between expanding and stagnating, between taking on another apprentice and turning down contracts. Skills matter because they strengthen our economy. Australia cannot compete on low wages. We compete on quality, on safety and on the excellence of our people. That means investing in training is not an optional extra. It is a national necessity.

National Skills Week reminds us that investing in people, their training and their future is the strongest way to strengthen our communities. From Joondalup to Mullaloo and Duncraig to Ocean Reef, the people of Moore are living proof that when skills are built locally opportunity grows locally. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in supporting vocational education and training, and I am committed to ensuring that the people of Moore have every opportunity to build the skills that they need for today's jobs and tomorrow's industry.

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