I thank the Prime Minister for the honour to serve as Australia's Minister for Education and Training. Australia enjoys one of the best education and training systems in the world and it is an enormous privilege to continue the government's work to make our great system even better.
Since December last year I have greatly enjoyed serving as the Minister responsible for vocational education and training, pursuing reforms focussed on lifting the quality of training, its relevance to modern jobs and the status of VET.
Ensuring Australians have the right skills for the jobs of today, and the jobs of tomorrow, is essential if we are to deliver on the Prime Minister's vision for our nation to take maximum advantage of the opportunities created by economic and technological change and global innovation.
I am committed to ensuring that from early learning through schools to universities and vocational education and training, our education system equips all Australians with the opportunity to be their best, do their best and make our country its best.
I look forward to building on Christopher Pyne's unstinting efforts to ensure Australia has the highest standards of education at all levels, and to working collaboratively with education stakeholders to develop policy and to build broad support for any future reforms we need to undertake.
As a South Australian I also note the increase in our state's representation in both the Cabinet and the full ministry, which I am sure will be welcomed by many South Australians given the high unemployment and particular economic challenges our state faces.