Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion as it is critical that the skills shortage is not only understood but addressed. The Flynn electorate is full of qualified trade professionals, including electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, automotive service technicians and mechanics, painters, nurses, dental hygienists, chefs, bakers, hairdressers, bus drivers and child educators, just to name a few. According to the 2021 census, over 30 per cent of people over 15 in the Flynn electorate have a certificate III, certificate IV, an advanced diploma or a diploma in technical and trade skills. The Flynn electorate's top response for occupation is also technicians and trade workers. Before entering politics, I was a boilermaker—a high-pressure pipe welder working on the gas pipelines to Curtis Island, near Gladstone. Many years ago, I went to Roma TAFE College and received my qualifications in engineering through recognised prior learning. Sadly, since my time, it has become harder and harder for apprentices and trainees to come through the system and into the workforce.

Now, here are the facts that Labor don't want you to know about. There are fewer Australians being skilled under the Labor government. Australia has lost over 80,300 apprentices and trainees, a loss of one in five. There are 34,685 fewer women apprentices and trainees in training, and new starts for women in skills have nearly halved, a loss of 44,605 equivalent places. There are fewer trade apprentices in training with a 25 per cent drop of new starts, and there are fewer construction trade apprentices in training with a 26 per cent drop in new starts. Skills shortages have worsened since the Albanese government took office and remain higher today than under the coalition. From June 2022 to June 2023, skills shortages increased by 12.5 per cent, and the latest data indicates 33 per cent of all occupations are in shortage, which is higher than under the coalition government. More than 27,000 businesses have gone insolvent since the Albanese government was elected, and Labor's economic failures have made it harder than ever to put on an apprentice or a trainee. With issues such as the skills shortage, it is incredibly important that we start to think outside the box and address this significant problem.

One massive issue is the lack of childcare providers, and this is particularly relevant to small communities throughout Australia. In an industry that employs 200,000 people, 21,000 more qualified professionals are required to address the current shortage. Another 18,000 must be hired to meet future demand. An additional 18,000 will be needed to help realise the federal government's childcare subsidy and expanded preschool plans. This was all found in the federal government's report released in 2024. Furthermore, if Australia wants to improve children's development by offering universal preschool, the early childhood education industry will have to grow by three per cent every year. It is clear as day that the childcare sector is struggling not only to attract but to retain workers. One idea that I've raised that is worth looking into is providing recognition of prior learning for parents and grandparents to attain qualifications to become childcare educators. I had a history of welding which is recognised, and I don't understand why the same can't be applied for the parents and grandparents with respect to the childcare sector.

The one-size-fits-all approach on education is not working and most certainly does not work in rural and regional Australia. We need a government to prioritise the valued tradies and workers, including in our skilled migration intake. For example, Labor has failed to build the homes Australians need and failed to manage the immigration system in a way that provides the right workers to help supplement the meeting of this demand. Instead, this Labor government is putting martial arts and yoga instructors ahead of skilled workers, including bricklayers, painters, roof tilers and stonemasons, in the visa queue. The Albanese government's own data makes it clear they have made skills shortages worse and have delivered the worst skills shortage in 50 years. How can a Labor government bring one million people to Australia and have a skills shortage?

The coalition has outlined our plan to train our next generation of Australians with the skills required for the workforce of the future, address the supply chain constraints and invest in skills and development, while creating more apprenticeships and traineeships and ensuring the training system is delivering the skills Australians need. Only the coalition has this plan to address this skills shortage and get Australia back on track.

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