Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Fee-free TAFE is changing lives and creating invaluable opportunities, particularly for young people seeking new skills and for small-business owners in need of a skilled workforce. The Albanese Labor government understands this, and it's why we delivered 350,000 fee-free TAFE places last year, far exceeding our initial promise of 180,000 places. This take-up shows, with the right incentives, we can build a qualified, skilful workforce in sectors where we need it and provide a pathway to rewarding work opportunities while supporting small businesses.

Just recently, I introduced the Prime Minister to some of our local fee-free TAFE graduates and students when he visited the Bellarine Peninsula in my electorate. As the graduates shared their success stories, it was impossible not to sense the joy and pride that comes with gaining skills and the ability to confidently earn a decent wage.

One local graduate, Kaylee, who completed her traineeship with VFA Learning, shared her story, detailing how fee-free TAFE had helped her transition to a new career as a teacher. Kaylee said:

I wanted to be in schools since I was young, and [Fee-Free TAFE] was a pathway to [the] teaching career I've always wanted. Now, I am working at a brand-new secondary school which just opened this year.

That's what fee-free TAFE is all about. We're building a strong foundation for our education system to thrive and, at the same time, we're creating a better future for more Australians and growing the skills base our businesses desperately need.

Someone who understands that is Flying Brick Cider Co director Lyndsay Sharp. Lyndsay spoke with the Prime Minister and I during our visit about the benefits of fee-free TAFE for local businesses, including those in the hospitality sector. Lyndsay said:

Fee-Free TAFE provides the opportunity for people to discover and enter a new industry or for those in their chosen industry to enhance their capabilities.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Lyndsay and her staff at the Flying Brick. This is an awesome local business, and I'd encourage anyone visiting my electorate to drop by the Flying Brick. I know the Prime Minister greatly enjoyed his time with you all.

In closing, our government understands a high-performing VET sector is essential not only to create meaningful and secure career opportunities but to deliver the skills our economy needs. Only an Albanese Labor government understands the power of our VET sector as an economic driver and a creator of a skilled workforce.

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