The Northern Metropolitan Partnership ran from 2017 to 2024. The Partnership engaged with local communities to advise the Victorian Government on the key priorities for jobs, services and infrastructure.
Former Members
The Northern Partnership was made of community and business representatives with varied backgrounds, experiences and networks and the CEO of each participating local government.
- Esme Bamblett
- Sue Davies
- Carmel Guerra
- Meghan Hopper
- Mark Maskiell
- Anna Crabb
- Phillip Bain
- Gina Dougall
- Helen Coleman
- Ashley McInnes
- Sajeev Koshy (OAM)
- Mariella Teuira
- Syed Asad Ali Taqvi
- Terry Larkins
- Nick Verginis
What we've done
The Partnership invested in research and projects to further explore, and act upon, the priorities raised by the people of the west.
The projects were commissioned by the Metropolitan Partnerships Development Fund and the insights were shared with government to inform policies and programs.
This project sought to address the issue of employment for young people in the creative industries.
The project engaged with young people to co-design a regional program that promoted the creative industries, investigate the impacts of the pandemic on the sector and enabled access to industry experts to support career transition. Building on the initial creative industries pilot and the Northern Future Workforce study, this expanded project also included work experience visits, mentoring and a regional engagement event where young people were provided an opportunity to showcase their work.
Delivery of this project is being led by the Inner Northern Local Learning and Employment Network (INLLEN) and is a partnership between the INLLEN, the Northern College of Arts and Technology (NCAT) industry, and Northern Councils.
It also engaged: Bendigo Bank; YouthWorx; Next Wave; Hume City Council; Moreland City Council; City of Whittlesea; Darebin City Council; Banyule City Council; Inner North Community Foundation and North LINK.
Visit INLLEN's Creative Industries page for more details: https://inllen.org.au/creative-industries
This project addresses the issue of transport connectivity and sustainability through the reduction of greenhouse admissions.
The project developed a Community-Wide Electric Vehicle Transition Plan for Melbourne's North with a focus on the role of Local Government in supporting the transition. Exploring cost-effective electric vehicle transition options in the short to longer term, it considered policy gaps, charging infrastructure and community access, awareness and engagement opportunities.
Delivery of this project was led by City of Whittlesea with the support of Banyule City Council, Darebin City Council, Hume City Council, Moreland City Council, Nillumbik Shire Council, Mitchell Shire Council and Northern Councils Alliance.
It also engaged the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action and the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA).
This project addresses the issue of ensuring a vibrant economy for Melbourne’s North by attracting business and ensuring jobs.
The project delivered an investment attraction strategy for Melbourne’s north to maximise the region’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It included a Strategic Review that provides the evidence base for further action and developed an Action Plan that provides a list of practical, achievable tasks that will improve the region’s investment attraction success rate.
Delivery of this project was led by NORTH Link with the support of Banyule City Council, Moreland City Council, City of Whittlesea, Darebin City Council, Nillumbik Shire Council, Shire of Mitchell and Northern Councils Alliance.
This project was delivered by the Banksia Gardens Community Centre and gathered research across the northern region of Melbourne to better understand the issues of disengagement from school for young people and children. It delivered a community-based afterschool program for disadvantaged and CALD communities that created social connections and cohesion and supported mental and physical wellbeing as well as enhancing connections to school and supporting academic achievement.
Since the Partnership’s establishment, the issues of local jobs and youth employment have been top priorities. Acknowledging what we’ve heard, and with the economic and social recovery from COVID-19 front of mind, the Partnership used its MPDF funding to commission Opening Doors to Employment.
This three-part project seeks to better understand the challenges and opportunities for the employment of young people in the north.
Future Workforce: Where the Jobs Are
Building upon and updating the Future Workforce – Melbourne’s North (2015) study, Future Workforce: Where the Jobs Are will consider the changes in the workforce of the past five years and look into a post-COVID environment.
The project will produce a regional workforce planning analysis to identify and anticipate future industry, employment and training requirements in the North over the period of 2020 to 2030. A range of engagements will be undertaken to support the research. These include:
- Consultation with councils, health and wellbeing, industry and education stakeholders, looking at changing workforce impacts and needs across groups from young to older.
- Seven roundtables focussed on key industry sectors. These are being run in partnership with the regions’ major educational institutes.
Vocational Mentoring Exchange (VME) program
A Vocational Mentoring Forum will take place in October 2021 to promote mentoring to community organisations and other Local Learning & Employment Networks in the northern region. The program seeks to scale-up vocational mentoring and support for young people. It’s anticipated this will support disadvantaged young people on their career transition journeys and connect them into networks where job opportunities exist.
Four engagements with community programs from the region will be undertaken to understand the mentoring, local skills and employment needs and constraints in the region.
Engaging young people in creative industries
Young people from Melbourne’s north, working or aspiring to work in creative industries, will be supported to co-design a pathway to employment. Facilitated as a half-day think tank event, young people will:
- Hear from students in Creative Arts
- Contribute to a continuing conversation between young people and those working in industry
- Have the opportunity to showcase their creativity
It’s anticipated the Partnership will develop an understanding of the impact of Covid-19 on creative spaces and industries and will identify opportunities to assist the creative industries recover.
Building upon and updating the Future Workforce – Melbourne’s North (2015) report, this region-wide study considered changes in the workforce over the past five years and into a post-COVID environment.
Led by NORTH Link, delivered by NIER, and guided by a region-wide group comprising local governments, education providers and industry, the project undertook a regional workforce planning analysis. Industry, employment and training requirements in the North, over the period 2020 to 2030, were identified and anticipated.
A range of engagements supported the research, including consultation with councils, health and wellbeing, industry and education stakeholders, looking at changing workforce impacts and the needs across groups from young to older. Over 250 representatives of industry and education providers participated in eight roundtables focussed on key industry sectors.
The project produced Melbourne’s North Future Workforce 2021-2030, an executive summary PDF, 2922.11 KB and comprehensive report PDF, 13680.47 KB, providing the evidence base for understanding the internal and external changes which will affect industry, skills and employment in the short to long term in the nominated industry sectors.
A scaled vocational youth mentoring program for the region – worked with 4 community organisations to recruit 15 mentors with lived experience to improve job and skills readiness for 40 vulnerable young people.
This included a Regional Youth Mentoring Forum engaged with 60 stakeholders representing community agencies and prospective mentors to embed mentoring within core business and provide young people with needed skills and confidence to enter education or employment pathways.
Young people from Melbourne’s north, working or aspiring to work in creative industries, have been supported to co-design a pathway to employment in the creative industry.
The project engaged 12 youth researchers from the Northern College of Arts and Technology, who worked with 30 other students to lead a series of interviews with 24 practicing arts professionals from the North about skills and employment pathways across photography, music, performance and fine art.
The young people were involved in the co-design and facilitation of as a half-day think tank event where they:
- heard from students in Creative Arts
- contributed to a continuing conversation between young people and those working in industry
- had the opportunity to showcase their creativity.
The event was attended by 150 regional stakeholders, including 80 young people. Project findings helped the Partnership develop an understanding of the impact of Covid-19 on creative spaces and industries and will identify opportunities to assist the creative industries to recover.
Read the Pathways to Working in Creative Industries Report PDF, 1065.07 KB.
The project was led and facilitated by the Inner Northern LLEN. See videos of student interviews with creatives and the Think Tank and the summary of students’ findings at INLLEN.
The Partnership contributed funding to commission the Northern Horizons report in 2020 to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the region’s priorities for infrastructure, jobs, health, environment and transport today and forward over the next 50 years. The report highlights the region's key strategic directions to guide economic and social recovery.
A Summary Report and Evidence Report can both be viewed on the NORTH Link website.
Watch a recording of the virtual launch from 26 October 2020 here. Please note this is best viewed on Google Chrome.
Local Government Areas
- Hume City Council
- Mitchell Shire Council
- Nillumbik Shire Council
- Whittlesea City Council
Page last updated: 03/07/24