Two Minute Statement: Cooper Mann, 2026 Apprentice of the year.

I rise this afternoon to congratulate Cooper Mann on receiving the South Australian Skills Commission Outstanding Apprentice Award of 2026. At just 22, Cooper has demonstrated leadership that is so impressive, and he really will be part of that group of people shaping the future of manufacturing across South Australia. Cooper is a third-year mechanical fitter apprentice at ASC in Osborne. He's working on the Australian Collins class submarines. Cooper has always had an interest in engineering and the maritime industry but says it was a tour through the Australian Collins class submarine that really inspired him to take on an apprenticeship at ASC.

Since starting, his contribution has extended well beyond just developing his own technical skills. Only months into his apprenticeship, he identified a serious problem in terms of safety onsite. Rather than thinking that he would just let it go, because he'd only been there a couple of months, he stood up, he spoke to the relevant people, and he saw the issue through and got it resolved. That sort of persistence and leadership is what had him named as the ASC's Safety Leader of the Year back in 2024. He doesn't assume for a moment that being young or being an apprentice means that his voice carries any less weight or that he has any less responsibility onsite.

Through his union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, Cooper has become a passionate advocate for the next generation of skilled workers. He's standing up and making sure that our trade training system and our apprenticeship system are fit for purpose and provide what is needed for the apprentices of the future and for that robustness in our manufacturing system. Well done, Cooper.