Australia’s
workforce is ageing and the development of technical skills is not keeping pace
with the retirements. We have a static rate of graduates, high dropout rates
and lower and lower numbers of secondary students interested in completing the
required maths and science to enter engineering.
It seems that
the appeal of STEM is dwindling amongst Australia’s young people – a looming
catastrophe in world of accelerating technological change.
We are in the
midst of a new digital revolution known as industry 4.0. Technology is changing
the way we live, work and play and shaping major trends in globalisation,
automation, collaboration and the way businesses operate.
It’s
unquestionable that Australia needs to cultivate more cooperation and
collaborative networks between education and industry to combat this. Closer
engagement benefits schools, universities, businesses and students by providing
them with vital job skills necessary for employment, but only 1 in 7
undergraduate students in the natural and physical sciences participates in
industry programs.
If we’re
going to develop these greater collaborative networks, the promotion of
industry interaction through the curriculum in education is an area that
warrants increased investment and attention. The promotion of STEM education and
training is another focus area – participation in science subjects in
Australian schools is at the lowest level in 20 years, and our ranking in
school-level scientific literacy dropped between 2006 to 2012.
Akolade’s Future-Proofing STEM Industries Summit is
addressing this head-on. You’ll find Australia’s most knowledgeable experts and
thought-leaders all in one place, there to discuss how Australia is going to nurture
a stronger pipeline for jobs requiring STEM skills.
Don’t miss
out! Be part of the discussion on 19th -21st September in
Sydney.
Written by:
Beth Hampton
Beth came to Australia in late 2016. Having spent some time travelling
through Southeast Asia and briefly living in Singapore – she was ready to embrace
the lifestyle of a working Sydneysider!
Beth grew up in London, and completed her degree in Psychology
at the University of York. She always dreamed of landing a job in the police, but
figured it was worth swapping the handcuffs and late shifts for an exciting new
city and a job full of fun and opportunity in a fantastic company like Akolade!
Beth loves cooking, playing the piano, terrible British soap
operas, an ice-cold G&T and exploring new places.
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