Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion brought by the member for Holt. I understand that the government would like to trumpet its success in securing what it calls a landmark agreement and to point to percentage drops in national skills shortages. But the young people and small businesses of Fowler are experiencing something quite different. We've heard today that the National Skills Agreement supposedly gives Australians easier access to training no matter where they live. But the people in my electorate—one of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged in the country—beg to differ.

Let's look at the one of the blind spots that this motion and the National Skills Agreement ignore. This is not just about providing a classroom to teach the next generation of trainees and apprentices; it's about backing the small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses at the heart of our community so that they can actually employ them. Manufacturing is the lifeblood of Fowler, employing around 12 to 18 per cent of local workers—roughly double the national share of about six per cent. These are not giant government-subsidised corporations. They are small and medium-sized family and migrant owned businesses, in light manufacturing and food production—the places that have given generations of migrants and refugees their very first job. They are the backbone of our local economy.

In Fowler, we especially need more trainees and apprentices in manufacturing, construction, care, logistics and the service sector—exactly the industries that keep Western Sydney's economy running every day. The government talks about billions in funding, yet the lion's share is funnelled into institutions like TAFE—which is fine, but our small local businesses are left to fend for themselves. How can a small business in Liverpool or Fairfield take on an apprentice when they are being smashed by rising energy costs, rent, insurance and of course other compliance costs as well?

The government might be funding the classroom, but it's failing to support the workshop floor, where the real learning happens, in my community. There's a lot of talk about easing skills shortages, and that should absolutely be a national priority. But you cannot fix a shortage with a revolving door. Nationally, almost half of apprentices do not finish their training. That alone tells us that the current system is not working for our young people or for employers. Our young people are facing a cost-of-living firestorm. When entry-level apprentice wages are so low that a young person can't help their parents pay the rent, the mortgage or the power bill, they walk away. They take casual, low-skilled jobs, just to keep the family afloat. This agreement does nothing practical to deal with that reality on the ground in places like Fowler.

We also hear a lot about equal access, but this agreement barely acknowledges the unique realities of south-west Sydney. Many of our residents speak a language other than English at home. They're not sitting on government websites reading media releases about fee-free TAFE. For them, navigating complex application forms, online portals and bureaucratic language can be overwhelming. If outreach is not targeted, multilingual and truly place based, communities like mine will be left behind yet again.

Last year, the minister announced $20 million for a new energy skills centre in western Melbourne and $35 million to expand clean energy training, promising that apprentices in clean energy and housing construction could be eligible for up to $10,000 in support. I welcome that investment, but I have to ask: What about apprentices who want to build a future in other sectors like local manufacturing, food production, logistics or care work, which employ so many people in Fowler? What about those in south-west Sydney for whom travelling to those specialist hubs is simply not realistic or affordable? Investment in one sector cannot come at the expense of others, and it cannot ignore where people actually live and work.

Training in my community is more than just turning up to a couple of classes or ticking a box on a course. For young people in Fowler, it's about whether they can afford the train fare, whether there is child care for their younger siblings or their own children and whether they have a mentor who understands their culture, language and family responsibilities. The National Skills Agreement, as it stands, misses the primary industry base of my electorate and the day to day barriers faced by my community. What should be an equal opportunity for anyone wanting to upskill has yet again fallen short for the young people of Fowler. So I say to this government that if you are serious about skills, then make it real for communities like mine. Give small business manufacturers the support they need to take on and keep apprentices. Lift financial support so apprentices can afford to stay in training and fund targeted multicultural outreach in places like south-west Sydney.

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