Swinburne partnership news

VACCA wins gold at the 2024 Australian Training Awards

20 December 2024

VACCA staff at the 2024 Australian Training Awards  
Image Credit: VACCA 

Swinburne University of Technology' partner Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) has been nationally recognised as the gold winner of the Large Employer category in the 2024 Australian Training Awards. The Australian Training Awards are the peak national awards that showcase best practice in vocational education and training.

The seven-year partnership between Swinburne’s Department of Health, Science and Community and VACCA has delivered a Diploma of Community Services Child, Youth & Family Welfare (CYFW) to over 120 VACCA staff. As Victoria’s peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, VACCA heavily invests in the skills of its 1,000 employees. 

The partnership between Swinburne and VACCA was prompted by government minimum qualification requirements and the organisation‘s goal to upskill its staff. Working closely with VACCA Organisational Development Manager Al Dawood, Swinburne Director, Health, Science and Community, Debbie McLaughlin managed the course development and delivery.  The dedicated efforts of Marybeth Yarosh, the course co-ordinator, have contributed greatly to the success of the course.

This partnership has empowered child and family workers to provide improved support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. It is also supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination by providing higher education and vocational training.

 Swinburne partners in £6 million UK cybersecurity research and networking initiative

26 November 2024

Professor Yang Xiang (pictured, at left), Director of Swinburne's Digital Capability Platform, is driving major research in cybersecurity.

Swinburne University of Technology's leadership in cybersecurity research has been internationally recognised through a partnership in the UK’s new Cyber Security Research and Networking Environment (CRANE) NetworkPlus. 

Led by the University of Oxford, the CRANE initiative aims to enhance cybersecurity in the UK and beyond, by leveraging emerging technologies and research insights to improve resilience against cyber threats. The initiative is supported by a £6 million investment from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Through the program, Swinburne cybersecurity experts will collaborate with UK-based researchers to share information, innovation and research outcomes.

Professor Yang Xiang, Director of Swinburne's Digital Capability Research Platform, says the partnership will draw on the university's interdisciplinary digital research expertise – including our Cybersecurity Lab – to help improve cybersecurity across sectors from manufacturing to healthcare. 

"At Swinburne, we're driving major research in cybersecurity and providing the thought leadership and knowledge required to protect society from cyberattacks on all levels," Professor Xiang said.

"Our involvement as a partner in the UK's new CRANE NetworkPlus builds on Swinburne’s existing collaborations with UK universities, including the University of Kent, University of Exeter, University of Surrey, Newcastle University and Aston University."

 
Gift of Daimler truck drives collaboration in skills training and freight transport research 

18 October 2024

(L-R) Dr Hadi Ghaderi, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Swinburne Business School, Romesh Rodrigo, Head of Vehicle Homologation, Regulatory Affairs and Future Mobility at Daimler Truck Australia Pacific and David Adams, Manager Automotive and Supply Chain at Chisholm Institute with the Cascadia prime mover.

In a collaboration between Chisholm Institute of TAFE, Swinburne University of Technology, and Daimler Truck Asia Pacific, a Cascadia prime mover has been gifted to Chisholm to support the hands-on training of Victoria's next generation of heavy commercial vehicle mechanics. 

The prime mover is valued at an estimated $450,000 and equipped with the latest technology—including AdBlue and DPF emission systems, ABS stability control, radar, automated emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. It will be based at Chisholm’s Dandenong campus, offering a cutting-edge platform for students to develop essential skills. 

Chisholm CEO Stephen Varty said he is grateful for the generous gift, that will enable Chisholm to continue to deliver graduates who are highly skilled and well-positioned to meet evolving industry needs. 

“It is vital that our heavy vehicle mechanic students are trained with the latest technological advancements and equipped for the jobs of the future,” said Mr Varty.  

Chisholm offers the Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology as an apprenticeship, which can lead to employment as an automotive motor mechanic or heavy commercial vehicle repair technician.  

Swinburne University of Technology’s Pro Vice-Chancellor of Vocational Education Madelyn Bolch said the partnership was an important one. “This is a fantastic example of how the combined efforts of TAFEs and industry partners, like Daimler, can address critical skill shortages and contribute to research that will shape the future of transport,” Ms Bolch said. 

The donation further boosts the long-term relationship between the university, TAFE sector, and the heavy vehicle manufacturing industry, with significant implications for research, skills training, and industry collaboration. As Swinburne’s heavy vehicle emissions research work grows Chisholm has agreed to support Swinburne with access to the Daimler truck for research purposes. 

“This partnership is forging new pathways to advance heavy vehicle education and research, supporting both workforce development and research in advanced heavy vehicle technology,” said Dr Hadi Ghaderi, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Swinburne Business School.  

Accelerating business engagement between Australia and India

6 August 2024

Professor Suresh Palanisamy's project on SPEE3D technology has won the Maitri Research Grant, boosting Swinburne's global manufacturing prowess.

A research project led by Swinburne’s Director of the Manufacturing Futures Research Platform, Professor Suresh Palanisamy has been awarded the Maitri Research Grant. 

The project, ‘Advancing Sustainable Manufacturing and Commercialisation of SPEE3D Additive’ will see Professor Palanisamy partnering with industry partners SPEE3D and the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT-R) to develop and commercialise SPEE3D Australian technology in India and revolutionise metal 3D printing via its innovative cold spray technology. 

“Swinburne has a longstanding history of actively collaborating with Indian research partners and industry in advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0. The Maitri Research Grants Program will enable Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Platform, led by Professor Palanisamy, to bolster our integral industry partnerships with India and boost Australia’s capabilities and reputation for additive manufacturing expertise globally,” says Professor Karen Hapgood, Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research.

Swinburne and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry decade-long partnership creates real-world impact

25 July 2024

(L-R) Swinburne's Vice-President of Innovation and Enterprise, Dr Werner van der Merwe, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO, Paul Guerra and Swinburne's Director of Industry Engagement and Business Development, Genevieve Reid. 

Swinburne is celebrating a 10-year partnership with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a collaboration that has enhanced opportunities between industry and academia to create positive, real-world impact.

“Our decade-strong alliance of networking and knowledge-sharing with the Victorian Chamber has enhanced curriculum relevance and promoted research and innovation to help create a skilled, job-ready workforce that understands industry practices and trends. I look forward to another decade of collaboration,” says Swinburne’s Director of Industry Engagement and Business Development, Genevieve Reid.

“The Victorian Chamber is proud of our long-standing partnership with Swinburne.

Victoria’s tertiary education sector is world-class, providing economic benefits, work-ready graduates and cutting-edge research – with Swinburne as a key contributor. Together, we have collaborated on several industry initiatives, policy documents and taskforces, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship into the future to keep delivering for Victoria,” says Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra

Some highlights of the partnership include:  

• The Higher Education Taskforce, a Victorian Chamber initiative in which Swinburne participated as a member. The taskforce was established to identify issues and opportunities to support the continuing growth of Victoria’s higher education sector.

• Swinburne contributed to the Victorian Chamber’s position in a communique to the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra, which brought together government, key stakeholders and providers to address economic challenges.

• Swinburne was a key stakeholder of the Victorian Chamber’s series of advocacy videos to promote the 2022 State Election Platform Powering Victoria’s Future. Vice-Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester spoke of the need to cultivate the best jobs and skilled workforce in the nation, which was the first pillar of the platform Strengthening Victoria’s jobs and skills.