Last week, the City of Casey and Chisholm Institute brought together leaders from across government, education and the healthcare industry, to a Health and Education Roundtable designed to foster collaboration and address challenges across the local health sector.
The forum attracted representatives from some of Australia's largest and smallest healthcare organisations for open conversations on workforce shortages, training and employment pathways, service pressures and the benefits of developing close partnerships between health, education and industry to cater to real workforce needs.
City of Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said healthcare plays a vital role in the everyday lives of Casey residents.
Cr Koomen said, "As one of the largest and fastest growing cities in Australia, we are keenly aware that our health system must continue to grow and adapt alongside our community."
"Council was proud to partner with Chisholm Institute to bring representatives from key sectors together to connect and jointly explore solutions to support a more connected, resilient healthcare sector that meets the needs of local people, now and into the future."
Chisholm Institute Chief of Education, Conor Mullan, said being part of the Forum reinforced the importance of responding to health needs where growth is happening fastest.
"Casey is a growth corridor with complex and evolving health needs, and what was clear in the room was the value of industry, education and local government working together. At Chisholm, we are working closely with local health providers to understand workforce pressures and co‑design training that meets the real needs of our community, now and into the future."
The roundtable marked a significant milestone in the City of Casey and Chisholm Institute's partnership, building on their recently signed Memorandum of Understanding and establishing a foundation for ongoing collaboration to training and employment outcomes.
Participants also shared perspectives on ageing population pressures, healthcare costs, reliance on emergency departments, funding constraints, Indigenous experiences within the healthcare system and the challenges faced by newly arrived communities navigating care.
By strengthening existing relationships and forming new connections, the forum laid the groundwork for continued cross‑sector collaboration focused on workforce development, service capability and improved community outcomes.
