STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms COKER (Corangamite) (13:50): Today, on National TAFE Day, I want to celebrate every student whose life has been forever changed because of their TAFE journey. Recently I met Charlotte, an apprentice florist from Leopold in my electorate of Corangamite. Charlotte, a student at Gordon TAFE, won gold in floristry at the 2025 WorldSkills national championships, and this year she'll represent Australia at WorldSkills in Shanghai.

What has been pivotal in Charlotte's journey is the role of TAFE as a catalyst to gaining an apprenticeship and securing rewarding work with a local employer. This is why TAFE matters, and it's why making TAFE more accessible matters. Our free TAFE program is expanding opportunity for Australians and building the skilled, confident workforce our economy needs.

We're targeting training in sectors where Australia needs skilled people—from health care to early years education, from construction to manufacturing. And our nation's embracing it, with more than 850,000 Australians now enrolling in free TAFE. These are Australians gaining new skills, changing careers, securing good jobs, earning more and meeting workforce needs.

Unlike the opposition, who has turned its back on TAFE, the Albanese government knows that TAFE changes lives and builds the skilled workforce our country needs. Investing in TAFE makes absolute sense. Happy National TAFE Day.