I am a proud beneficiary of TAFE. I know firsthand how life-changing that institution can be for its students. The teachers at Loftus TAFE are equipping our State with the skills that we need every day. We know that four out of every 10 new jobs created in the next decade will need vocational qualifications. Employers across New South Wales are relying on TAFE NSW to equip learners with in-demand skills using industry-standard equipment and technology, ensuring they graduate job ready. The staff at Loftus are providing the next generation of chefs with the hospitality and cooking expertise that they need for success at Embark Restaurant, while providing the Sutherland Shire community with world‑class service and meals. They are training our next generation of massage therapists in the Sutherland Shire at the Alive Massage Therapy Clinic. They are getting our next generation of personal trainers fit for their dream jobs. With these programs and the many more that are run at the campus, the next generation of workers are getting the experience and knowledge they need right in their local community.

After I was elected last year, I visited the Loftus campus. I saw firsthand the amazing work that the staff were undertaking, but there were unresolved issues left from the former Government—now Opposition. The staff were being prevented from enrolling additional cohorts as they could not guarantee a classroom space free from maintenance issues. This problem had been ongoing for more than six months across more than six classrooms. Unfortunately, it is a story that is not unusual across our State. Our TAFE campuses were subject to 12 years of deliberate neglect by the previous Government. The result was crumbling classrooms, leaking roofs and ageing technology right across New South Wales. The Minns Labor Government is determined to fix that.

After I visited the Loftus campus, I contacted the Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and explained the issue. TAFE NSW worked with the Loftus teaching team to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation and identified an appropriate solution. Projectors on campus were replaced during the term break, minimising disruption to classes. This upgrade will go a long way to addressing the ongoing classroom issues at the Loftus campus. Initiatives like that show how serious the Minns Labor Government is about rebuilding TAFE, treating it like the world-class learning institution it is.

It is a vision of TAFE that has led the Government to invest $300 million into TAFE NSW through a repair program that will upgrade classrooms and campus infrastructure, deliver new teaching equipment and improve digital connectivity. We want to continue to allow TAFE NSW to expand learning opportunities in local communities, improve educational outcomes, and support the State's critical skills needs. The Government is giving TAFE campuses like Loftus what they need to do this. The Government is determined not to let the great experience that TAFE NSW offers to learners be diminished by facilities that should have been maintained properly by the previous Government. We are also determined not to let high fees stand in the way of learners acquiring the skills they need.

That is why the Minns Government partnered with the Federal Government last year to announce that 147,000 fee-free TAFE places would be made available in New South Wales over the next three years. Under that program students studying the Certificate III in Civil Construction could save up to $2,100 in fees, those pursuing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or a Certificate III in School Based Education Support could save up to $1,600, and those looking to build a career pathway through a Certificate III in Individual Support could save up to $1,450. The Minns Government has also signed a landmark five-year National Skills Agreement with the Commonwealth that places TAFE at the heart of the vocational sector and will deliver billions of dollars to build the skills and prosperity of New South Wales. TAFE NSW is giving people the skills they need to pursue their dreams and, simultaneously, giving incredible services back to the community. I am so proud of the work that the staff are doing in the heart of the Sutherland shire at the Loftus campus.