Salvos’ Project 614 partners with University of Canberra on new training pathway

The Salvation Army’s Melbourne Project 614 has announced a new partnership with the University of Canberra aimed at strengthening its frontline workforce as demand for community services continues to grow.

The partnership will create a tailored education pathway for Project 614 employees and volunteers, who work with people experiencing homelessness, isolation, poor health and other complex social barriers. Under the arrangement, staff and volunteers will be able to undertake a Professional Certificate in Foundations for Working and Volunteering in Community Organisations.

The course was co-designed by the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health and Salvation Army staff, with the aim of combining academic knowledge with the practical realities of frontline support work. The certificate will include six microcredential units covering areas such as trauma-informed care, mental health, communication and mediation, reflective practice, and ethical and cultural considerations when working with at-risk groups.

University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Bill Shorten, who appeared at the Salvation Army’s Bourke St headquarters on March 10 to launch the initiative, said the partnership would help prepare community workers for the next decade of service. He described it as an investment in people, community and “the future of compassionate care”.

Project 614 leader Major Brendan Nottle said the tailored course would give staff and volunteers the tools to respond “faster, more safely, and with greater care”.

Based at 69 Bourke St in the CBD, Project 614 has operated at the frontline of community support for more than a decade. Since 2011, its Magpie Nest Café has provided free meals and a safe place for people seeking dignity, connection and practical assistance, while also hosting a range of integrated health, disability and support services.

The announcement comes as Project 614 looks to expand its model, including through a new café in Footscray and growing interest from councils in establishing similar service hubs in their own municipalities.

The partnership signals a push to build a more skilled and sustainable workforce around one of the city’s best-known integrated community support hubs.