I rise to speak to this motion celebrating the exceptional achievements of Australia's Skillaroos at the 2024 WorldSkills competition in Lyon this September. The WorldSkills competition brings together the brightest, most talented young tradespeople from around the globe to showcase their abilities. Whether in construction, engineering, IT or the creative industries, our Skillaroos stood shoulder to shoulder with the world's elite. The competition was fierce, but our team held their own with poise, resilience and a deep sense of pride in representing our country. The talent displayed by the Skillaroos on the international stage highlights how important it is to invest in their skills and trades. The Skillaroos are both a product and proof positive of the strengths of our vocational education and training sector—when properly supported.
The Albanese Labor government's commitment to strengthening VET enables our young people to excel. Australia prides itself on being a nation that offers opportunities for all, yet, for too long, the cost of education has been a barrier for many young people and for those wanting to upskill later in life. TAFE, the backbone of our vocational system, has been a critical pathway for Australians seeking meaningful careers in critical industries like health care, construction, aged care, IT and the trades. However, the rising costs of fees have made that pathway out of reach for far too many.
The Labor government's fee-free TAFE has already changed the lives of more than 500,000 Australians, providing cost-of-living relief and a pathway to well-paid, secure employment. Labor has a bill that will now legislate 100,000 free TAFE places each and every year. That's making our free TAFE a permanent feature nationwide in the VET sector. This ongoing investment from the Albanese Labor government will offer greater certainty to students, employers, industry, as well as state and territory governments. We want our TAFE and VET sectors to be able to respond to the challenges and seize the opportunities, shaping Australia's society, economy and environment.
That's why Labor is establishing a net zero manufacturing centre of excellence in my electorate, at Tighes Hill TAFE. This centre will provide high-quality and responsive skills training in the clean manufacturing economy, upskilling our workforce so they can take full advantage of the opportunities that renewable manufacturing provides. Newcastle and the Hunter have a proud history of industry and manufacturing, making this the perfect place for a centre of excellence.
Our positive vision of TAFE and the VET sector stands in stark contrast to the coalition's abysmal record. When we came to office, it was clear that we inherited a massive skills challenge from those opposite. In 2022, the OECD reported that Australia had the second-highest labour shortage per capita among the OECD countries. With that kind of track record, you'd be thinking that the opposition were keen to make amends, but, unfortunately, they've refused to back the Albanese Labor government's legislation for free TAFE places. Their own shadow minister has labelled the transformational policy as wasteful spending. Under the leadership of the Albanese Labor government, free TAFE is just one example of how we're putting people first.
We believe in a fairer Australia, where everyone has a fair chance to succeed, and where opportunity is not determined by the size of your bank account, but rather by your own hard work. Investing in a strong vocational education and training sector enables our apprentices and tradespeople to shine both at home and abroad. Skills drive the future of young people and the future of our nation. This is a belief that the Albanese Labor government and WorldSkills share. Australia is proud of our Skillaroos, who represented our world-class vocational training on the global stage. This next generation of skilled Australians is building the Australia of the future.
I must say how delighted the Prime Minister and I were to meet one of the recipients of a medal from that WorldSkills competition when we launched the centre of excellence in net zero manufacturing at Tighes Hill TAFE just a couple of weeks ago. That young man was full of pride and so excited about the bright, prosperous future for him and all of his colleagues at TAFE under an Albanese Labor government.
