Vocational education can lead to a wide range of career opportunities. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “skill” as the ability to do something well. But this is not something you are born with; it is something that is practiced, trained, finessed and built through passion.
Ideally, it can also be turned into a profession.
The skills sector is vital to any thriving society. From those who build our roads and fix our cars, to those who construct our homes, power our workplaces, cut our hair, or mend our shoes. Skills are all around us. These are people-focused jobs, aimed at practically helping others improve their lives, whether for a moment or a lifetime.
Yet somehow, they are often overlooked.
How many young people finishing high school say they want to take up a trade or pursue a skill, rather than go to university? Not many.
Even when they do, there is still this outdated stigma that vocational education is somehow less than a university degree.
That could not be further from the truth. Without a skilled workforce, there would be no buildings to study in, no power for wifi. The very foundations of life and society in general, would not exist without these skills.
It is time we recognised and properly valued the skills sector – and, more importantly, the people who choose to enter it.
I have had the opportunity to meet with a wide range of people and organisations across the skills and vocational training sector. We have talked about the ideal and also the nitty-gritty realities of working with and through the current government.
However, what gets me really excited is the potential for big, positive change – change that could help more people pursue their passions and create fulfilling careers.
Life can be like a “choose your own adventure” novel. Every decision we make leads us down a path. Every path we take, leads to more decisions.
But those options – these decision points – are often limited by circumstances, including access, affordability and location.
The data backs it up: people no longer stick to one career for life. These days, the average person goes through three to seven career changes in their lifetime. And when someone upskills through vocational education, it can open up whole new worlds of opportunity.
What I have seen time and time again is that when people follow a path that they are genuinely passionate about, they are more likely to succeed.
If government policy supported that approach – passion-driven choice – people would not only grow but innovate. Then society as a whole would benefit.
Right now, people who want to pursue a trade or vocational qualification often face limited choices. Many gravitate towards trades that are cheaper or receive more government subsidies.
This is understandable. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, education is expensive and subsidies matter.
But it also means that governments are, often unintentionally, steering people into particular trades, based on which ones they choose to subsidise.
These decisions are usually made with good intentions, such as addressing skills shortages. However, when governments pick which courses to support, they also influence the job market.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) funding mainly comes from the Federal Government, but it is passed down to states and territories through complex arrangements.
In doing so, the government influences individual’s choice and limits their opportunities. What happens when the government modelling is wrong and we end up with an influx of graduates in a sector that has no jobs?
I strongly believe that our students should have access to the best and most innovative vocational and educational training, which includes the best trainers and institutions. But more importantly, students should have the freedom to choose the path that suits them.
If we want to boost enrolments and retention in the skills sector, we need to empower students to decide what to study, where to study and when to study.
These choices should be fair and accessible for all students. This belief is rooted in core Liberal values: backing individual initiative, encouraging ambition and ensuring that those who work hard can earn reward.
Let students choose their own adventure and career path. When people are empowered to make their own choices and are supported in their choice, retention rates go up. Success rates go up. And the benefits flow through to every corner of our city.
This is the future I want to help create – one where skills are valued, choices are respected and people are empowered to build the lives they want.
James Milligan is the Shadow Minister for Skills and Vocational Training.
