Victoria University (VU) and Westjustice have announced a new partnership that aims to deliver meaningful social impact and boost economic opportunities for people in the western suburbs.
As part of their new memorandum of understanding (MoU), VU and Westjustice have agreed to work together on joint advocacy projects in the youth wellbeing, student employment and social inclusion spaces.
This will be achieved through the Wyndham Community Services Hub and greater alignment with VU’s Werribee Campus.
Utilising each other’s resources is expected to make it easier to co-deliver place-based community programs that create pathways to employment in accordance with local needs.
Leaders from both VU and Westjustice said that being well-known and progressive organisations with a high degree of trust will help more young people become civically engaged.
They will aim to enhance student engagement through structured learning placements, input into course design, helping foster employment outcomes across a range of disciplines– including law, youth work, financial counselling, social work, data and IT.
The advocacy philosophies of both organisations will lend themselves to advancing the bond, with Westjustice allows its clients to design its services and advocacy priorities, while VU has inclusion and equality of opportunity embedded in its ethos.
Westjustice chief executive Melissa Hardham said the joining of forces is a massive win for people in the west.
“This partnership delivers what the west does best, working together to innovate, advocate and deliver better outcomes for our people,” she said.
“Westjustice and VU have a long-standing history together, that over time has become multidimensional where we are both the funders and funded, the advisors and the recipients of advice, the experts and the ones receiving the expertise.
VU vice-chancellor Adam Shoemaker said the rapid growth and cultural diversification of the region makes the recent union all the more crucial to achieving better social and economic outcomes.
“Our job, through partnerships such as this, is to unlock this potential – through care, purpose and working together to drive change,” he said.
“Culturally safe and inclusive services have never been more important, and access to justice, education and support services is key to a fair future.”
