Benjamin Millar
Economic recovery post-COVID-19 will be a key focus of a new strategic partnership between Melton Council and Victoria University.
VU and the council last week signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding to help improve education, employment, and wellbeing for residents across the City of Melton and Melbourne’s west.
Under the MOU, signed at an online event last week by VU’s vice-chancellor Adam Shoemaker and Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik, VU and the council will collaborate on commitments including improving education attainment levels, promoting engagement with VU skills and education programs and promoting engagement with the AVID Schools Program.
Another key focus will be supporting jobs and economic recovery post-COVID-19 through initiatives that support local businesses and organisations to recover post-COVID-19, and supporting groups that have been disproportionately impacted such as women and young people to access jobs through new training, reskilling or upskilling opportunities.
Other priorities include providing digital literacy and literacy and numeracy programs for the CALD community and building social cohesion through local sports clubs and community events.
Cr Majdlik said the partnership provides great opportunities for a diverse range of people in and around Melton.
“This is a very important partnership for the future of the City of Melton and one that we’re really proud to be embarking on,” Cr Majdlik said.
“Together, Council and Victoria University will work to improve outcomes in employment, education, and community wellbeing for people in the west.”
Cr Majdlik said everyone should feel that higher education and skills training are not only excellent aspirations, but absolutely achievable.
“With major projects set to create many jobs in the City of Melton in the future, there’s no better time to plan for training and education opportunities,” she said.
“We want to ensure people in the west are ready and able to pursue the careers that best suit them.”
Professor Shoemaker said VU wants to honour its roots in the west of Melbourne and work collaboratively to benefit the region and communities.
“In particular, this MOU enables us to collectively identify and pursue priorities for progressive change in the region and contribute to it realising its full potential,” he said.
