Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move the motion relating to the National Skills Agreement in the terms in which it appears on the Notice Paper:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government inherited the most severe skill shortages in half a century, after a decade of neglect and an absence of any national skills agreement;

(2) recognises the Government for securing the landmark five-year National Skills Agreement, giving Australians easier access to training no matter where they live;

(3) emphasises that the agreement resets how Australia plans, funds and delivers vocational education and training, backed by $12.6 billion over five years, including $3.7 billion in additional funding to strengthen the skills system;

(4) observes that the Government's training reform and investment is delivering real outcomes, with national skills shortages easing over three consecutive years, and occupations in shortage falling from 36 per cent in 2023, to 33 per cent in 2024, and 29 per cent in 2025; and

(5) commends the Government's efforts to support Australians to upskill and reskill so more Australians get qualified for well-paid jobs in the sectors that employers and industries need including housing, care and support services, clean energy and digital capability.

TAFE is fundamental to the future of our nation. It is a vital component of our tertiary education system, equipping Australians with the hands-on practical skills our economy depends on. As a proud graduate of TAFE, I know first-hand how vocational qualification can empower people and unlock opportunities that may once have felt out of reach. TAFE changes lives. It opens doors because, let's be honest, university does not suit all of us. For many Australians, learning practical job-ready skills aligns far better with how we learn than sitting in a lecture theatre all day.

There should be no hierarchy when it comes to education. A skilled tradesperson is just as vital to our nation's prosperity as any other profession. The Albanese Labor government recognises this. After a decade of underinvestment in vocational education by the Liberal and National parties, Australia faced growing skill shortages in crucial fields such as construction, aged care and nursing. Communities felt the consequences. Housing supply fell behind demand, infrastructure projects slowed, and vulnerable Australians struggled to find qualified care workers. That is why we were elected. We committed to rebuilding TAFE and restoring it as a national priority.

In 2023, we delivered the National Skills Agreement, a landmark five-year partnership with every state and territory to invest $12.6 billion into vocational education and training, and the results are already clear. Skill shortages have fallen every single year since then, from 36 per cent in 2023 to 29 per cent in 2025. Labor has also committed more than 100,000 free TAFE places each year across the country. While the Liberal Party dismissed this as wasteful spending, more than 725,000 Australians have enrolled. Know how life changing this can be. Research shows that students who complete a vocational education can earn a median income $11,800 higher in the year after finishing their course. This is not wasteful; this is transformational. This is the difference between getting by and getting ahead.

We have also strengthened the pipeline of construction workers through support for apprentices. More than 11,400 apprentices have already commenced trades under our $10,000 Key Apprenticeship Program. Each of these apprentices is not just training for a career; they are the workers who will build the very homes Australia so urgently needs. Every apprentice represents another step forward in addressing our longstanding housing shortage.

So I ask those opposite: how can you stand in this House and call opportunities wasteful? How can removing barriers to education and helping Australians secure stable employment possibly be anything other than responsible nation building? But perhaps this is the difference between the Liberal Party and Labor. Those opposites see costs; we see investment. They see spending; we see opportunities. They look at the past; we are building Australia's future.

The National Skills Agreement is about ensuring Australians have the skills our nation needs. It's about productivity. It is about prosperity and, better yet, it's about fairness. That is why I am so proud to stand with a party that will always invest in our TAFE sector.

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