Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Happy National Skills Week. This week is about celebrating the power of skills and training to change lives, open doors and build stronger communities across our nations. The 2025 theme is 'Explore All the Options', and that's exactly what the Albanese government and our Minister for Skills and Training are supporting—options, opportunities and pathways for every Australian to build their future and contribute to our economy.

In my electorate of Corangamite in Victoria, I have seen firsthand the difference TAFE and apprenticeships make. They give people a start, help workers retrain and upskill, and ensure local businesses have the skilled workers we need to thrive. At Gordon TAFE in my region, many lives are transformed, thanks to the dedication of the staff and teachers who make it such a special place to learn and grow. I recently visited the Gordon with our minister, Minister Giles. We met with nursing students who are preparing to enter vital roles in aged care, showing the important pathways that vocational education provides for both young people and mature-aged learners. There are so many fantastic local stories at the Gordon. Will, from Torquay, is one of them. While still at school, Will began a school based apprenticeship. He continued his studies, earned an income and learned his trade alongside his dad. Today, Will is in his second year of his apprenticeship and setting himself up for a strong future in the construction industry. Will's story shows what is possible when learning is accessible, affordable and respected.

That is why the Albanese government is backing in our VET sector: it gives people opportunity, skills and a profession and contributes to a better future for our region and the nation. It's why we've made free TAFE permanent, guaranteeing at least 100,000 fee-free places every year from 2027, because cost should not be a barrier to training. Through free TAFE, we are extending opportunities by removing the barriers of cost, gender, location or background that too often keep people out. With $1.5 billion committed to free TAFE and VET places, we are ensuring vocational education is available to Australians at every stage of life. Since free TAFE was introduced, more than 650,000 Australians have enrolled, and 170 courses have already been completed. The impact is enormous, with over 84,000 VET participants aged 45 54—it's interesting that those VET participants are stepping in at an older age—along with 40,000 who are aged over 55. We also know that women comprise 62 per cent of free TAFE enrolments.

We are also backing in apprentices. We're making available pre-apprenticeship courses through free TAFE because evidence shows that it boosts completion rates. Our Key Apprenticeship Program in energy and housing has been designed with course completions in mind too—a $10,000 incentive paid in instalments, recognising the importance of cost-of-living support across the whole of an apprenticeship. In its first month alone, the housing stream of this program saw almost 1,300 apprentice sign-ups, with the top three occupations being carpenters, electricians and plumbers—all essential to building the homes Australia needs.

We do recognise that this is a monumental task. When the Albanese government was elected in 2022, Australia faced the worst skills shortage in 50 years. So meeting this challenge must be a high priority for our minister. We know that nine out of 10 new jobs will require post-year-12 training, and around half of these will come through a vocational pathway. That's why the Albanese government is committed to transforming the VET sector—restoring it to its rightful place alongside universities as a foundation for rewarding, well-paid employment. It's why we're supporting VET. It's about individuals, about addressing skills shortages and about building a strong, productive and prosperous economy.

As part of our work to make this a reality, our government signed the groundbreaking National Skills Agreement with states and territories in 2023. This historic deal unlocks up to $34 billion in joint investment to strengthen and modernise vocational education and training, with TAFE at its centre. As part of this agreement, 12 TAFE Centres of Excellence are being established to deliver the skills our economy urgently needs. These centres are taking shape in areas including housing and construction, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles and heavy industry. They give Australians the opportunity to gain skills in areas where they can make a real difference to our communities and to our nation.

Strong foundation skills—literacy, numeracy, digital capability and the ability to adapt to technologies like AI—are critical to ensuring that everyone can participate fully in work, education and the broader community. In December 2024, in partnership with states and territories, we finalised the National Foundation Skills Strategy 2025-2035. This sets out a vision for adult learners to access quality training that builds confidence, capability and lifelong opportunity.

In closing, I'd like to say that my region has always been built on skills—from the workshops in Marshall and Moolap, to the care workers supporting our ageing communities, to the tradies building homes in Armstrong Creek and Mount Duneed. These are the people who keep our region strong. These are the people who will continue to make our nation so special.

National Skills Week is a reminder that learning never stops, that opportunity must always be available and that respect for every pathway is fundamental to fairness. It is a week to celebrate the people making this possible: our apprentices, trainees, TAFE students and skilled workers. They are not only building their lives; they are building and caring for our communities.

The theme of this year's Skills Week, 'Explore ALL the options', captures the spirit of what our government is delivering. Every pathway, every course, every apprenticeship and every TAFE place is an opportunity to build a better life for individuals, families and communities. We're committed to continuing to provide Australians with these pathways and continuing to invest in our VET system, in TAFE Centres of Excellence, in free TAFE and in apprenticeships, so that every Australian has the chance to explore all the options, reach their potential and contribute to a stronger, fairer and more prosperous nation.

Skills mean fairness. Skills mean dignity. Skills bring opportunity. That is what this week is all about, that is what our government is delivering and that is what I will continue to fight for on behalf of the people of my electorate of Corangamite. Congratulations to all the staff and students at Gordon TAFE—enjoy this week and go well.

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