Humanability National Forum - Melbourne

Acknowledgements omitted

Good morning everyone - it’s great to be here with you at this year’s HumanAbility National Forum.

It’s fantastic to see so many leaders from across health, human and community services, aged care, disability support, sport and recreation, and early childhood education all in one room.

HumanAbility plays a vital role in making sure our VET system delivers real results for learners and employers across these essential industries.

These sectors already make up the biggest slice of Australia’s workforce – one in five Australian workers are employed in care and support roles – and that number is growing.

These industries don’t just provide services. They enrich lives, build inclusive communities, and support wellbeing at every stage of life.

That’s why it’s so important we keep attracting people to these professions, and make sure they have the skills and support to thrive.

This year’s Forum is all about exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping your workforce, building on the strong foundation of your 2025 Workforce Plan.

You’ve rightly highlighted that sectors like aged care and disability support are facing real shortages.

One of the fastest-growing job groups over the next decade is Community and Personal Service Workers - including aged and disability care roles.

We’re talking about nearly 295,000 new jobs by 2034.

That’s a big shift, a big challenge and a big opportunity – through skills and training – to make an impact.

That’s exactly why the Albanese Government set up Jobs and Skills Councils like HumanAbility, so we can work directly with industry to meet these challenges head-on.

In my National Press Club address back in August, I spoke about the potential for JSCs to play an even bigger role in shaping Australia’s workforce future.

The Councils are now well established, and demonstrating the significance of industry-led engagement.

In terms of workforce planning, HumanAbility is doing some really strategic future-focused work, including:

• Reviewing Early Childhood Education and Care qualifications to keep pace with industry needs, legislation, and quality standards;
• Similarly, reviewing aged care and disability support training to align with skill needs and national reforms; and
• Consulting widely on Outdoor Recreation and Leadership qualifications, to ensure they reflect current needs and support career pathways.

These are just a few of the 17 training package reviews HumanAbility is leading across the care and support sectors – I look forward to more updates.

I recognise that HumanAbility continues to enable meaningful work with First Nations stakeholders, helping create pathways into aged care and health roles that are culturally safe, community-driven, and sustainable.

This isn’t just about participation – it’s about leadership and long-term impact.

You’re also deeply involved in shaping national workforce strategies across key areas like mental health, allied health, nursing, autism, and family and community violence – areas where demand is growing and where skilled, compassionate workers make a real difference.

All of this builds on the 2025 Workforce Plan, which clearly maps out the challenges and priority actions needed to address labour and skills shortages in the care and support economy.

This aligns training with what industry actually needs – and what learners need to succeed, in shaping a career of contribution, not just finding a job.

That includes clearer career pathways, more accessible qualifications, and stronger connections between training and employment.

Your workforce planning work is also helping strengthen the evidence base for policy – giving government and stakeholders the insights they need to make smart, responsive decisions.

Whether it’s aged care, disability support, or veteran care, HumanAbility is helping build the workforce Australia needs – one that’s skilled, inclusive, and ready to meet the moment.

In the ECEC sector, you’re leading two major projects with state governments and industry to make sure training reflects current child safety laws and community expectations:

• A priority update to the Certificate III in ECEC to better support graduates in identifying and reporting children at risk. I understand proposed changes are expected to come to Skills Ministers later this year – thank you for progressing this important work.
• A full review of both the Certificate III and Diploma of ECEC to keep pace with evolving skills needs – with child safety again a key focus.

Work is underway to explore how ‘earn while you learn’ models could be better integrated into the care and support sectors – helping people gain practical experience while they study.

Research is also being done to better understand why completion rates for care and support qualifications are lower than other VET courses – a critical issue that needs addressing to ensure more learners finish their training and enter the workforce.

To make vocational education more accessible, our Government introduced Free TAFE – and the results speak for themselves.

Since the program began, there have been over 685,000 Free TAFE enrolments.

More than 27 per cent of those enrolments are in care and support-related qualifications – a strong sign of demand and impact.

That’s why Free TAFE is now a permanent part of the national VET system.

These are just some of the ways our Government is investing in skills and training to meet today’s challenges – and prepare for tomorrow’s.

HumanAbility’s work is a powerful example of what happens when we bring industry, education, and community come together with purpose.

The care and support economy is not just a workforce – it’s a backbone of our society.

By strengthening pathways into these professions, improving the quality and relevance of training, and removing barriers to access, we’re not just building a workforce – we’re building a future that’s more inclusive, more resilient, and more compassionate.

This is a shared effort. It requires collaboration, commitment, and a clear vision. And HumanAbility is helping lead the way.

Thank you for your leadership, your insight, and your dedication to making sure Australia’s care and support sectors are equipped for the future.

Thank you.

ENDS