Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to strongly support this important piece of legislation, the Free TAFE Bill 2024, introduced by my good friend and colleague the Minister for Skills and Training. For decades, TAFE has been the cornerstone of vocational education in Australia. It has provided generations of Australians with the skills, qualifications and pathways they need to enter secure, well-paid jobs and build successful careers.

In my electorate of Newcastle, I am lucky enough to represent three Hunter TAFE campuses. These institutions have been a constant source of the provision of essential skills and qualifications to thousands of Novocastrians from all walks of life since 1896! The member who spoke before me might want to contemplate what it is like to have TAFE institution for more than 136 years in your electorate and the extraordinary work and upskilling that that has provided, not just for individuals but for the strengthening of our local economies. Whether it's pursuing a trade, learning a new technical skill or exploring a pathway to higher ed, TAFE is there, providing accessible, high-quality education to help take that next step. And the people of Newcastle have a deep respect for the vital role that TAFE plays in providing vocational education and training in our region and in the strengthening of our local economy.

TAFE's hands-on approach to learning, connection to industry and ability to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the workforce have made it an indispensable resource. As of last year, the three TAFE campuses in Newcastle were providing education to a phenomenal 64,000 students. The top five of the most popular fields of study are engineering and all the related technologies there; management and commerce; society and culture; food, hospitality and personal services; and education. These are all critical industries that we know keep our nation moving. Their future success and contributions to Australia can be attributed to the education and training they have received at TAFE. With all that in mind, why wouldn't we want to encourage everyone to have a shot at TAFE without those financial barriers in place?

Through the Free TAFE Bill 2024, the Albanese Labor government is seeking to transform the lives of Australians and the future of our economy. At the heart of this bill is a fundamental principle—that access to education and training should not be determined by your financial situation. Labor is committed to building a fairer, more inclusive Australia by ensuring that anyone who wants to develop the skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the workforce has the opportunity to do so—for free.

We know how important free TAFE is to Australia. Free TAFE has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians providing cost-of-living relief and a pathway to well-paid secure employment. In the first 18 months of free TAFE under this government, there have been 508,000 enrolments in courses in priority areas. That means 131,000 people into care, including disability and aged care; 48,900 into digital and tech; 35,000 into construction; and 35,500 into early childhood and care. Free TAFE has particularly benefited Australians from priority cohorts, with over 170,000 young Australians, 124,000 jobseekers and 30,000 First Nations Australians enrolling in the program.

Of all places, six in 10 have been taken up by women. This is remarkable. These are opportunities for people who were generally cut out from access because of the financial barriers that were in place until the Albanese Labor government brought about fee-free TAFE. One of those remarkable women who took up a fee-free place in my electorate is Kahlia. She's a small-business owner, beauty therapist and mother of three. Thanks to free TAFE, Kahlia completed a certificate IV in assessment and training and is now living out her goal of being a TAFE teacher in beauty therapy. She's putting her decades and decades of skills to fantastic work, training the next generation of remarkable beauty therapists. Kahlia told me that with three kids, including one with special needs, she doesn't have a lot of free time on her hands, but the flexibility offered by an online free TAFE course and not having to worry about the cost allowed her the confidence to back herself and to take that leap. Kahlia is one of many Newcastle women who have shared their stories with me about their new career paths thanks to free TAFE, and free TAFE has absolutely exceeded expectations.

The existing program is set to cease on 31 December 2026, and this legislation is aimed squarely at making free TAFE permanent and supporting at least 100,000 places a year every year across the nation from 2027 onwards. The first and most immediate effect of the Free TAFE Bill is the empowerment it gives to individuals. We know education is a powerful tool. It is life changing.

It's something that changes lives and open doors, and for too long many Australians have been held back because of the rising cost of vocational education and training. The Free TAFE Bill 2024 removes this financial barrier, giving people from all backgrounds the chance to acquire skills that are essential to their personal and professional development.

The value of free TAFE is immense. It means that Australians no longer need to take on significant debt or make sacrifices to gain qualifications needed for in-demand jobs. Whether it's a young person leaving high school, a mid-career professional wanting to upskill or someone looking to change careers entirely, free TAFE opens a clear and accessible pathway. No longer will people be forced to choose between pursuing their passion and paying off their education. This bill creates equal opportunities. It empowers people, as I said, to make choices based on their ambitions and talents and to not have to worry about financial limitations.

Second, there are, of course, tremendous benefits for the economy. We know that our economy thrives on the fact that we have a highly skilled workforce, but we know we have tremendous labour shortage areas because those opposite, frankly, had no interest in TAFE. They sat back, watching it be ground to its knees in most states and territories, and that is the mess we have inherited. But we are absolutely determined to rebuild TAFE because we know that, when people gain qualifications and enter the workforce, they make a tremendous contribution to the nation's economy through their higher earnings and their greater consumption as well. More Australians with higher paying jobs means greater tax revenue as well for governments, as well as reduced reliance on social welfare. These are great benefits for our community. So the investment that we make in free TAFE now well and truly pays for itself in people with good jobs who are paying more taxes and fewer people dependent on social security. So, when members opposite dare describe this as a waste of money, I want them to reflect on that.

Third, TAFE is a really essential part of building a fairer and more equitable society in the first place. In Australia, like in many countries, the cost of education can be a significant obstacle for many people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We want to bust those barriers down. Fee-free TAFE provides a level playing field for those who might otherwise be excluded from TAFE. I cannot overstate how important it is to make sure that we get women in traditionally male-dominated trades, that we're getting First Nations people every opportunity to have a well-paid job in a great skill-based sector and that people with disability are also getting access to a quality education and gaining the skills that they need to succeed. This is what the free TAFE courses are providing. Of course, in the end this is really all about being able to contribute also to a cohesive society where everybody feels like they've got a stake in the nation's future.

Supporting VET and TAFE is part of Labor's DNA. We all come from electorates where the vocational education and training sector is critical to our communities. I'm absolutely stunned that the National Party as coalition members wouldn't want to support this bill, because in their communities, like my region, that is where higher education takes place—through a grounded TAFE system.

We've already made a landmark $30 billion five-year National Skills Agreement with the states and territories, lifting the investment in skills across Australia, alongside our investment into free TAFE. This landmark agreement includes the rollout of a number of net zero manufacturing centres of excellence, including one in my electorate of Newcastle. These centres represent not only a bold vision for the future of sustainable manufacturing but also a commitment to innovation, education and the communities that depend on these industries. As Australia faces the challenge of reducing our carbon emissions and transitioning to a net zero economy by 2050, the need for leadership, skills and technological innovation in our manufacturing sector has never been more urgent.

The establishment of these centres of manufacturing excellence marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to clean energy, to cutting-edge technology, to job creation and to skills development. The people of Newcastle and the Hunter know how deadly serious this government is about investing in our manufacturing sector as a whole and investing into the upskilling of each and every one of our citizens.

On top of our demonstration of how government, industry and education can all work together to create a better, more sustainable future, the Albanese Labor government is also investing $91 million in skilling the new energy workforce for the transition to net zero, another $91 million to help in skilling the housing and construction workforce, $55.6 million for building women's careers programs, $265 million to provide additional targeted support under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System and almost $28 million to improve tertiary collaboration and lay the foundations for broader tertiary education reforms. We've still got some work to do in that transition and interface between TAFE and universities, but that is absolutely in this government's focus.

When Labor came to government, it was clear that not only had we inherited the $1 trillion of Liberal debt—so it's astonishing to hear those opposite still try to talk like they're good economic managers—but we were also left with this massive skills shortage. The OECD said that Australia had the second highest labour shortage per capita amongst all our comparable OECD countries. With a record like that, honestly, members opposite should be jumping on board to support this bill. It is going to be great news for those National Party seats. You know, like I know, TAFE is the backbone of the tertiary education systems in your electorates. The idea that you would want to deny your constituents access to a quality education and remove the financial barriers from that is astonishing. I don't know how you're going to go back to your electorates and explain it; I honestly don't. I don't have time to go through the track record of those opposite on TAFE, but let it be said it has been appalling.

This Labor government will stand up for investment into public education. We will ensure increased access to TAFE by removing all financial obstacles to do so. We need these projects to all be up and running to deal with the housing crisis, to deal with the transition to clean economies, to ensure that women are getting into those well-paid male-dominated trade industries. That's what free TAFE is doing. That is the change and power of this. I'm sorry, but those TAFE grinches opposite really need to take a look at how they cast their vote and how they explain that to their constituents. (Time expired)

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