Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

In September of 2013 I was really proud to join my colleague the member for Blaxland as we announced at the YMCA school in Kingston in my electorate our commitment to trade training centres around the country. When I was there with the member for Blaxland we toured the facility and we could see the potential of the place as a trade training centre. So I was really proud and really pleased earlier this month, on 5 May, to be at the opening of that trade training centre in Kingston. I want to congratulate, on the parliamentary record, the two Garys—Gary Smith and Gary Adsett—for their role and their leadership. I want to congratulate all the staff at the YMCA school, including Emily Lumley, who is herself a success story from the very same school in Kingston.

Trade training centres are all about providing opportunity to our young people to work with their hands to be successful participants in the modern market economy. This school is a little bit special, because it caters specifically to kids who for whatever reason have fallen through the cracks of the mainstream education system. They do their hairdressing, they do hospitality and they do automotive. It is disgraceful that the government has cut the other trade training centres in my electorate, including at Browns Plains high school. I want to say to the kids of the YMCA school that I am proud of you, and I will see you at assembly soon.

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