“Australia is not getting the full value of its investment in STEM education”: STEM report

The government’s chief scientist has said “Australia is not getting the full value of its investment in STEM education” following the launch of the latest Science & Technology Australia (STA) report on barriers to STEM careers.

The STEM Career Pathways report was commissioned by the Office of the Chief Scientist with the STA surveying over 3500 people with STEM qualifications.  

Released by the minister for industry and science, Ed Husic, the findings highlighted five key areas requiring improvement.

One key finding of the report listed was that “job insecurity is a barrier to retention in STEM careers, particularly in Australia’s STEM research sector.” 

The list also said, “Even among PhD graduates who have been in the workforce for 15 years or more, 25 percent were on fixed-term contracts. 

“Short-term research funding and job insecurity damage workplace culture and job satisfaction.”

“Women are less likely to have permanent full-time work, and more likely to be on fixed-term contracts” and “78 percent of men who responded to the survey were on permanent full-time contracts; the figure for women was just 58 percent”.

Discussing the findings Australia's chief scientist, Dr Cathy Foley said, “The survey shows significant gender disparity and job insecurity.”

“The report demonstrates the need for changes to support more mobility between sectors, to improve retention in science careers, particularly for women, and to better match skills and sectors.”

Foley said, “It demonstrates the commitment and passion of our STEM workforce, but the system needs to do more to support people once they’ve chosen a STEM career, so we don’t lose the value of this highly trained group.”

Foley added Australia needs to increase the number of people studying STEM and “We also need to better align skills with industry growth areas to correct the mismatch between demand and supply”.

“I was struck by the difference between the number of men and women on permanent contracts – the survey suggests women are much more likely to be on short-term contracts. Those contracts are almost always for three years or fewer,” Foley said.

Foley added, “We’re not necessarily training people in the right areas – engineering, mathematics and physics, for example, are areas of chronic shortage." 

Foley called for “easier ways” for people to move between sectors” stating “There are too many artificial barriers that discourage trained people from moving between sectors.” 

“There’s a lack of visibility, so that people think about STEM careers as university careers only, whereas the options are much wider,” Foley said.