PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Ms TEMPLEMAN (Macquarie) (13:06): December the 24th 1903 was a proud day for the people of Lawson. It was the opening of their new mechanics institute, on which there was a gorgeous report in the local newspaper, the Mountaineer. The foundation of TAFE is our mechanics institutes and our schools of arts.

The mechanics institutes provided adult education, particularly in technical subjects, and they operated alongside schools of arts right throughout what is now the electorate of Macquarie. Those buildings remain in many towns and villages in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury. The mechanics institute at Lawson and the schools of arts in Wentworth Falls, East Kurrajong, Wilberforce, Richmond, Freemans Reach and other places still play a really important role in their communities, as they did more than 100 years ago.

The foundation they laid continues strongly today, though, in TAFE institutes in Richmond, in the Blue Mountains—in Wentworth Falls and Katoomba—and in neighbouring Penrith and Kingswood. I had the opportunity to again visit Richmond TAFE in the Hawkesbury very recently and see firsthand some of the horticulture and retail nursery programs and those involved in the landscaping related courses.

Students spoke to me, in particular, and I got to see their work with a trial on pansies. They were assessing different fertilisers for their effect in growing the best quality pansies to be sold in commercial nurseries. The classes tested different types of slow-release fertilisers and then judged the sellability of the plants that they helped produce.

The sellability was based on how bushy the plants' leaves were, the height and the density. Shorter samples were favoured over taller overgrown samples. I joked with the students that my own garden is overgrown and that they were always welcome to come and try and work their magic at my place.

But what really struck me was that there were students of all ages in that group, and around one-third of the horticultural production and retail students have enrolled for a career change. So they're not just starting out on their careers; they're moving into their next one. It was also great to talk to the parks and gardens class.

Many of the students there are already working in a range of roles, including in the private sector, in landscaping related positions. The Blue Mountains TAFE campuses focus on a different part of training. While the horticulture, agriculture and veterinary studies are very much part of the Richmond campus, in the Blue Mountains the TAFE campuses focus on things like hospitality and commercial cookery, visual arts, aged care and disability.

So across Macquarie, across multiple TAFE study streams, we're seeing thousands of students pursuing their interests, expanding their skills and abilities, and building practical qualifications in the industries we really need to build Australia's economy. We know that every day TAFE delivers world-class qualifications that open the door for secure, well-paid careers and create real opportunities for Australians from every walk of life.

Through practical, hands-on and specialist training, they're equipping students with skills that employers need, helping people to increase their earning potential, building rewarding careers and, importantly, addressing the skills shortages we know we face. The Albanese government is focused on growing these opportunities for Australians, including through fee-free TAFE.

New program data released last week revealed more than 850,000 students and more than 275,000 course completions were supported by free TAFE from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2026. That's a record we're really proud of. Whether it's building more homes, supporting an ageing population through the care economy or preparing workers for emerging industries and technologies, TAFE is critical to ensuring that Australia has the skilled workforce needed to meet future demand.

And free TAFE is now a permanent feature of the national VET system, thanks to our government investing more than $1.6 billion to 2034-35 to support at least 100,000 free TAFE and VET places every year from 2027.