"I've always been someone who wanted to lead with heart," said Taylor Hampton, a proud Ngiyampaa/Wiradjuri man and one of the standout VET success stories being celebrated ahead of National Skills Week 2025.

Running from 25 to 31 August, National Skills Week return with the 2025 theme 'Explore ALL the options'.

Showcasing inspirational stories of Vocational Education and Training (VET) graduates from across the nation, the week will empower Australians to recognise VET not as 'Plan B', but as an equally valuable career pathway.

Mr Hampton is one of these stories.

From being named the 2024 Victorian Training Awards Koorie Student of the Year, to becoming a national finalist for the 2024 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year, and now serving as a Senior Cultural Facilitator at the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA), his achievements are a testament to the power of VET.

Mr Hampton also co-founded Birrang Cultural Connections alongside his wife, Jacinta Daniher, in 2019 - an organisation dedicated to fostering positive awareness of First Nations culture through workshops, community events and children's books.

But none of this would be possible without VET, said Mr Hampton.

"I wouldn't be here today, working at VACCA, doing the work that I'm doing without VET," he said.

It was through his journey with VET that Mr Hampton had gone from uncertainty to clarity.

"When I started, I wasn't even sure what direction I was heading," he said. "If you told me 10 years ago - when I was just starting out in youth work and community services - that I'd end up working for one of the largest Aboriginal organisations in Victoria, delivering cultural awareness training, I would've said, 'You're absolutely nuts'."

"But VET gave me a clear path. I knew from the start this was where I wanted to be and how I wanted to support community. It's flexible, practical, and it helps you figure things out as you go."

The motivation behind his life's work is simple.

"More than any job title that I've got, I just see myself as someone who wants to help mob feel proud of who they are," Mr Hampton said.

His mission to uplift First Nations' identity and culture is rooted in Mr Hampton's personal experiences with cultural disconnection.

Growing up, he had limited knowledge of his Aboriginal heritage because his father wasn't allowed to speak his language or practice his culture - something "that's always stayed with [him]".

"[My father] wasn't able to share a lot of his culture with me or my brothers. He didn't grow up in a time where it was safe to speak language or be openly proud of who you were," he explained.

"For a long time, I didn't even have the full picture of who I was or where I came from. I always knew that I was Aboriginal, but for me as a young kid, that was just a word - there was no cultural significance to it."

As a father to two "deadly" children, Ella and Arlo, Mr Hampton is committed to ensuring future generations never face the same cultural disconnection he experienced.

"That loss of knowledge has been one of the biggest motivators in my career. It's pretty much why I do the work that I do - because I don't want my kids to grow up with that same disconnection that I had as a kid," he said.

"I want them to grow up with the stories, to learn language, to learn dancing, and gain that sense of pride from the start. I want them to know who they are and where they come from - right from the start."

Mr Hampton believes his experiences have shaped his ability to lead and support young mob.

"For me, not knowing a lot about my identity, and going out on my own to build that cultural connection - I think I can be someone who supports young mob who are struggling with disconnection and searching for identity," he said.

It was this enthusiasm to guide others that led him to study at Kangan Institute in Melbourne, hoping to gain practical leadership skills. Under their leadership program, Mr Hampton received a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.

For him, the program was transformative.

"[The course] helped build on my confidence and my ability to support others and speak up when something didn't feel right," he said.

That confidence now underpins his leadership efforts to support other First Nations people to thrive in their careers, particularly through his role at VACCA.

"I wanted to help shape change in my community and in the organisation I work for. I've always wanted to support staff and create stronger, safer workplaces for mob to feel proud of who they are."

"When workplaces are culturally safe, mob are more likely to stay, to apply for leadership roles, and to bring their full selves to the table."

Reflecting on the role VET has played in his career journey, Mr Hampton said it "opened doors that [he] didn't even know that were there."

"I know a lot of young people today get told that uni is the best option. But that's not true for everyone," he said.

"For me, uni wasn't for me as a kid, as a young person, not because I wasn't smart, but I think just because I just didn't apply myself in school. But you know, there are a lot of kids out there that have that same journey as well."

Mr Hampton also recognised that alternative learning styles - like those offered through VET- better suited him and many others in his community.

"I think it also gave me a different style of learning. It was more about doing and less about sitting in class and listening to the teachers and lectures, and I think for a lot of mob, that's a better fit for our communities," he said.

"I think that's how we learn best, by doing, by listening, by watching, by giving things a red hot crack."

Speaking to all young Australians, Mr Hampton reinforces this year's theme, 'Explore ALL the options'.

"I'd tell young people not to see VET as a Plan B, because it might be the exact path they need," he said.

"VET should be celebrated as a pathway that's just as valuable as uni, because I think the outcomes speak for themselves," he continued.

Mr Hampton's message echoes the broader mission of National Skills Week - encouraging Australians not to discount the merit of a skills-based tertiary education.

"This year's campaign is a reminder of the extraordinary demand for skills-based careers, and the importance of positioning vocational training as a first-choice pathway alongside a traditional university education," said National Skills Week Chair, Brian Wexham, in an official statement.

"[National Skills Week] empowers individuals to explore ALL the options available to them, pursue the careers they are passionate about and supports Australia's workforce development."

As National Skills Week draws closer, Mr Hampton's story is a powerful reminder that VET is an equally valuable pathway and can be the starting point for success.

More information about National Skills Week is available online.