Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023. I commend the fantastic work of the Minister for Education on this outstanding piece of legislation that I know will improve the lives of thousands of Australians for years to come. This bill seeks to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to create the Startup Year program, which is designed to support students participating in accelerator program courses as part of the Higher Education Loan Program, known as HELP.

The new Startup Year HELP is estimated to support up to 2,000 students and recent graduates each year, with a pilot program commencing in July this year and a full rollout in July 2024. Eligible students include those who are in their final year of an undergraduate degree, are enrolled in a postgraduate course or were awarded a qualification at the bachelor's degree level or above in the last three years. Importantly, the program will target support and prioritise underrepresented groups such as women entrepreneurs, First Nations people, people with a disability, and community-based start-ups working on regional and rural issues. The bill will also amend existing social security and student assistance legislation to allow Startup Year HELP funded students participating in accelerator program courses to potentially qualify for student social security payments, update and add funding caps for approved research programs, and apply indexation to existing amounts.

Estimates from the Tech Council of Australia found that 30,000 new jobs and $7 billion in value will be generated by new tech startups by 2030. That's why the Albanese Labor government is being proactive about supporting our thriving startup industries. Thanks to Labor's new Startup Year program, current students and recent graduates will have great opportunities to build important skills in entrepreneurship by connecting them with the support, mentorship and facilities they need to develop their startup ideas. In my state of Victoria we are home to a number of successful innovative startups including Linktree, Mr Yum, Zella and Startup Gippsland. They play a critical role in creating domestic jobs and commercialising brilliant ideas.

This bill is backed by the mandate of our constituencies because Australians want to see improvements in access to higher education. The new Startup Year HELP loan removes a significant roadblock to participation in accelerator programs and will encourage a broader, more diverse range of programs being made available to a larger cohort of participants. This bill strikes at the core of one of Labor's most renowned values, providing an education that is accessible and equitable for all. We are investing in a better and fairer education system because that is what Labor governments do—in fact, it is what we do best. I am so proud to be a part of the Albanese Labor government, which is supporting Australian students to upskill to expand their knowledge and experience and not forcing them to be out of pocket just to get the education that they need for the jobs that they want.

Labor's Startup Year program for budding entrepreneurs is just one example of our commitment to improve equitable access in our education institutions. This May's 2023 budget also saw $32 million in grants to update schools across the country. More than 20 local schools in my home region of Mallee, in regional Victoria, are set to benefit from Labor's budget. We are delivering better infrastructure and better equipment to help students right across Victoria achieve their best. Growing up in regional Victoria, I know firsthand that students and graduates in regional and remote communities don't have equitable access to education and especially don't have the same access to higher education based accelerator courses. Whether it is our new Startup Year program for budding entrepreneurs, providing fee-free TAFE courses for Victorians or improving school infrastructure and equipment across the country, the Australian people can rest assured that Labor is committed to improving equitable access to our education institutions. I commend the bill to the Senate.