Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

RMIT is committed to advancing the principles of Goal 8 by promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and ensuring full, productive employment and decent work for all.

RMIT supports inclusive economic growth by preparing learners for meaningful employment, promoting fair and equitable workplaces and contributing research that addresses workforce and industry challenges. 

Through industry-connected learning, work-integrated learning, lifelong education and partnerships across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, RMIT helps build the skills and capabilities needed for a changing workforce. 

The University also promotes decent work through its commitment to diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and professional development for staff and students.

Highlights of recent SDG 8 aligned activity are included below, with more information available in our 2025 Sustainability Annual Report (PDF 13 MB), with our 11 years of reporting progress outlined on the Sustainability Annual Report webpage.

Broader sustainability contributions are also highlighted in our organisational Annual Report, which are tabled in the Victorian Parliament.

2025 Case Studies

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Work-integrated learning is central to RMIT’s approach to preparing students for employment and lifelong career success. 

In 2025, students participated in more than 51,700 work-integrated learning activities, including over 14,600 placements delivered in partnership with more than 4,200 industry and community organisations. 

These experiences provide students with opportunities to apply their learning in professional settings, develop practical skills and build industry networks before graduation. 

By connecting education with real-world experience, RMIT helps learners transition successfully into employment while supporting industry and community workforce needs.

RMIT is helping address skills shortages through innovative Earn and Learn pathways that combine paid employment with tertiary education. 

In 2025, the University continued to expand programs that allow students to undertake qualifications while working with industry partners. 

These pathways provide learners with practical workplace experience, income and professional networks while completing their studies, helping them graduate with both qualifications and significant industry experience. 

By strengthening connections between education and employment, RMIT is supporting workforce development and creating new pathways into high-demand industries.

RMIT is committed to providing fair, inclusive and supportive employment practices that enable staff to thrive throughout their careers. 

In 2025, RMIT was again recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, marking 18 consecutive years of recognition and positioning RMIT as one of only three Australian universities to achieve this distinction. 

During the year, the University continued implementation of its Gender Equality Action Plan, reduced its gender pay gap and expanded initiatives supporting career development, leadership opportunities, workplace flexibility and inclusion. 

These efforts help create equitable employment opportunities and contribute to a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

2024 Case Studies

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With over 2,300 HDR candidates globally, RMIT’s research student community plays a vital role in advancing the University’s mission to deliver research with impact.

Our HDR cohort is highly international, with 321 candidates engaged in collaborative research training partnerships across 16 countries. A key focus for 2024 was increasing HDR internships and industry engagement.

Pleasingly, the number of candidates involved in industry activities – whether through reportable internships or cofounded PhD projects, rose to 117, up from 80 in 2023. We also exceeded our HDR completions target, achieving 423 completions against a goal of 400. The cohort also reported record levels of satisfaction with their experience.

RMIT has a growing number of Indigenous HDR candidates. To support and educate HDR supervisors, the Indigenous Research Network, in collaboration with the School of Graduate Research, hosted the Creating Waves event.

The event addressed supervision of Indigenous HDR candidates, research with Indigenous communities, and projects adopting Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing.

RMIT's collaboration with South East Water exemplifies the fusion of education and industry expertise to address real-world challenges. 

By developing tailored digital courses, RMIT empowers South East Water employees with advanced skills in data analytics, cloud computing, and digital transformation. This initiative aligns with both organisations' commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Through this partnership, South East Water can effectively leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency and customer service, while RMIT demonstrates its capability to deliver industry-relevant education. 

The collaboration highlights RMIT's role in supporting workforce development and driving positive change in the utilities sector.

Our Health Transformation Lab (HTL), in collaboration with the College of Vocational Education, Grampian’s Health and Cisco, was awarded almost AUD$1 million under the competitive Victorian Government Skills Solutions Partnerships (SSP) Program. 

The HTL will lead the development of a tailored education solution for upskilling the digital capabilities of Grampian’s Health staff, including IT professionals, managers and frontline staff.

RMIT's expertise in technology and education plays a pivotal role in developing solutions that address the unique challenges faced by regional healthcare providers. 

The initiative involves deploying Cisco's state-of-the-art technologies to enable better communication, data management, and access to remote healthcare services.

This partnership exemplifies RMIT's commitment to leveraging technology for social impact, aligning with the university's strategic priorities in health and innovation. By integrating cutting-edge technology, RMIT, Cisco, and Grampians Health are setting a new standard for healthcare delivery in rural areas, ensuring communities receive comprehensive and efficient care.

SDG Alignment Mapping Overview

As reported in the 2025 Sustainability Annual Report, there were 145 course units and 111 research projects aligned with SDG 8 in 2025, representing a wide range of workforce and economic growth related topics. 

Other SDG alignment insights are captured in the data below.

145 Course Units

111 Research Projects

18 International Research Partnerships

198 Publications

  RMIT Global Average
Publications in Top 25% Journal Percentiles by SIR (%) 83.0 59.8
Citations per Publication 4.6 2.8
Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) 2.1 64%
National Contribution (%) 5.1% N/A
International Collaboration  64.1 27.3
Developing Country Collaboration (%) 64% N/A
Low to Lower-Middle Income Country Collaboration (%) 38% N/A

Research Projects and Initiatives Over the Years

The following research projects have been specifically aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 8 and the aim to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. These projects and initiatives are examples of the University’s contribution to the SDGs over the years.

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Self-training program for nascent entrepreneurs

In recent years, Vietnam’s economy experienced rapid growth and integration into the global economy.

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Animation in Cambodia

Animation in Cambodia is a project delivered jointly with the NGOs FutureSense & Challenges Abroad.

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The Economic and Social Impacts of Mining in Madagascar

This research is concerned with the impacts of Large-Scale Mining (LSM) in Madagascar.

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SDGs Work Integrated Learning Placement

RMIT is partnering with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) to undertake a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Work Integrated Learning placement opportunity.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples