VU RISE: Recover, Innovate, Sustain, Evolve

The Sustainable Futures Innovation Hub in Werribee focuses on responsible consumption and production practices in key industry sectors, in-line with the State Government’s Recycling Victoria strategy and the objectives of reducing waste and progressing the circular economy.

The Hub will cohere around four projects, delivered in partnership with government, community and industry organisations.

• Digital transformation of construction industry for improved quality & safety: With the ever-increasing growth in the construction industry, a history of defective work, poor quality, and more fatalities than any other industry in Australia, this research project will develop cost-effective ‘Smart’ tools for use within the industry.
• New recycled waste construction products: Our research will perform geotechnical and structural investigations on the utilization of recycled glass and plastics and demolition wastes in concrete house slab systems and associated road pavements in Melbourne’s west.
• Next generation water management in the Werribee River Catchment: Education and research to shape policy and better inform decisions around community management, planning servicing and infrastructure solutions with particular emphasis on challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sustainable Packaging Solutions: This research project will provide solutions for reducing the consumption of single-use packaging materials and the creation of new alternatives using agricultural by-products and other waste materials.

The Stronger Communities Innovation Hub will improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of communities in Melbourne’s West.

The multi-sector Hub will cohere around 4 initial programs undertaken in partnership with community, health and industry organisations.

• Addressing aboriginal disadvantage in the west of Melbourne: This project will grow Aboriginal expertise in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO’s) and Aboriginal Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in the west of Melbourne.
• Health & wellbeing: Waitlist Project: This project brings together health professionals, researchers and community members from the West of Melbourne to tackle the mental and physical health needs of individuals with musculoskeletal conditions.
• Promoting healthy & active living: Innovation in engaging CALD communities: This project will pilot an innovative approach to better understand how to effectively engage CALD communities in Melbourne’s West, reflecting cultural and community values.
• Resilience: Regenerative City Living Lab: This project will include a series of initiatives that engage VU students and young people in new ways of learning to equip them with the skills to become future innovators and empowered to contribute to environmental action and change.

The Education Innovation Hub focuses on:

• understanding transition barriers that prevent students from reaching their potential and reducing the availability of trained workers;
• co-designing research-based solutions, including innovations for micro-credentials, 'stackable blocking' across HE and VET/TAFE, and workplace-integrated learning.

Projects in this Hub include:

• New employability development programs to increase & sustain graduate employment outcomes: This project aims to provide clarity as the real needs of different organisations in terms of what is most highly valued in graduate applications in 2021 across a range of indicative industry sectors.
• Achieving successful graduate outcomes: Models to enhance postgraduate student learning: This project explores how the innovative block mode, VU Online and remote learning, is best utilised to enhance greater access to authentic student learning experiences and optimise opportunities for successful graduate outcomes.
• The Summer Gap Project: This project elevates young people as co-researchers navigating the transitions from school-leaver through tertiary pathways and out to work.
• Vocational Education and Training hybrid education & learning project: This project focuses on modes of learning that guarantee work and life-readiness for students, providing flexible and transitional learning opportunities for students to ensure that they are adaptable and work ready.

The Jobs & Skills Innovation Hub will facilitate the development and implementation of solutions to support skills and jobs growth, as well as safe and inclusive work environments in Melbourne’s West.

The Hub will cohere around four projects, delivered in partnership with community and industry organisations.

• Skills & jobs for Melbourne's West: This project will consider the skill needs of three industry sectors based in the West - infrastructure, digital economy and social services and care.
• Resilient enterprises & sustainable employment in tourism (RESET): In collaboration with key industry partners, RESET will develop training for Western Melbourne tourism businesses, guided by an assessment of skills and capability gaps in the area.
• Social value creation for transport & infrastructure: The Social Value Framework seeks to secure jobs in the West of Melbourne.
• Gender equality through employability skills: This primary prevention project will co-design a ‘transformative pedagogy’ that enables the promotion of safe, respectful, inclusive and diverse workplaces in the construction sector (Pictured: VU student Emily Scott).