Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

The communities have been both incredibly supportive and positive. This, of course, is demonstrated by the enthusiastic nature in which local businesses have got on board to support them. The Committee for Geelong CEO, Rebecca Casson, said:

The shape and nature of Australia's workforce, and more specifically the workforce in Geelong, is transforming. Therefore Geelong is the perfect place to pilot this new innovation in education.

I want to acknowledge the fact that even Senator Kim Carr has noted his support for the program, stating, when it was announced in 2014: 'It's important we have good connections with real-world economics. So I support notions of encouraging industry to be more engaged in the education system.'

It really is critical that we make sure that we do have this positive approach to building stronger ties between local schools and local employers, because it is those types of connections that will best equip young people with direct skills to get jobs in their local communities in the future, and the Turnbull government is strongly committed to doing so.