When I speak to people in my community about Australia's future, I'm really optimistic, because I'm really ambitious for our country. One of the reasons for this is that, in the Albanese government, we at last have a federal government that cares about good, secure jobs here in Australia and about ensuring we make things here, both for our own sovereign capability and to trade with the world. The unfortunate fact is that we have suffered from a coalition government with a lack of ambition for Australia, and manufacturing has declined. But under the Albanese Labor government manufacturing is back because we're backing manufacturing. When the Liberals came to government, there were 927,000 manufacturing jobs. That was in November 2013. When they left government last year, there were only 855,000 manufacturing jobs. But in December 2022 there were 872,000 manufacturing workers. So we are starting to see, under our government, these good, secure jobs in really key industries coming back.
Despite what we might have heard here this afternoon, those opposite are part of a party that dared automakers to leave the country, so it is really difficult for me to be anything but cynical about their capacity to support Australian manufacturing. They simply can't be trusted. On this side, in government, we want to build a stronger and more resilient future, and that requires a modern, growing and diverse manufacturing industry that delivers secure, high-skill, high-wage jobs. Our government is committed to driving the transformation of Australian industry and reviving our ability to make world-class products in Australia. We're taking action to create high-value jobs across the economy and to help Australians skill up for the jobs of the future.
One of the ways we're doing that is through the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, which is one of Australia's biggest government investments in manufacturing in living memory. It will drive economic development in our regions and outer suburbs, boost our sovereign capability, diversify the nation's economy and help create secure jobs. It will create jobs in communities right across our country, including my community of Chisholm. We want Australians to think globally and make locally. When we as a government spend through the National Reconstruction Fund, there won't be any colour coded spreadsheets in sight. There'll be no sports rorts and no car park rorts. Investment decisions will be free from political interference.
We saw very clearly the impacts of not having local capabilities in manufacturing when borders were shut and supply chains were disrupted during the worst part of the pandemic. We all saw that across our communities. People in my community were shocked by the extent to which the previous government had not just neglected but destroyed manufacturing in this country. It has been made very clear to me that—certainly in my community in Chisholm—there is an expectation that we have a responsible government with sensible strategies to stimulate industry and the economy so we can grow our wealth; create good, secure jobs for now and the future; and lead the world in advanced manufacturing technology.
Something that has really held us back has been a real lack of investment in and support for skills and training. I was delighted to spend time at the Box Hill Institute with Minister O'Connor and Victorian minister Gayle Tierney to hear from students and staff last week. We're doing a lot in the skills space. Of course, the Prime Minister's very first visit to Victoria after the election was to my electorate of Chisholm, to the magnificent Victorian Tunnelling Centre at the Drummond Street campus of Holmesglen TAFE. We are delivering 180,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places for Australians in 2023. We're delivering on our commitment to build a stronger economy and help give more Australians the skills and training they need today and to harness the jobs and opportunities of the future. We're investing in our greatest resource, our people, honouring our key election commitment to provide fee-free TAFE and vocational education places. Whether it's in the care sector or in manufacturing, we need to deliver these skills at a time of acute skills shortages. Manufacturing is a great industry to get work in, and our government is backing that industry for a better future for all.
