About
This is an action plan that supports Future State, Future Skills: Accelerating STEM skills for Western Australia - a mission update to WA's first state STEM skills strategy, released in 2019.
The mission update is designed to build stronger skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to ensure everyone can participate in emerging opportunities.
The plan describes agreed actions for relevant Western Australian Government departments.
Priority area 1 - Actions
Show morePriority area 1 – Career pathways and industry linkages
Our approach:
- Showcasing priority and emerging STEM opportunities including careers in industries that diversify and decarbonise the WA economy.
- Fostering industry engagement with the community, schools (K-12), universities and VET providers to enhance and support education and training.
Actions
1. Utilise and support the 70 career practitioners in WA public schools to showcase emerging STEM opportunities and enhance industry-school links.
2. Encourage industry involvement in Career Conversations events to support parents and young people to understand the labour market and emerging STEM opportunities.
3. Include focus on STEM in the Career Taster Program for Year 9 to embed career development and long-term industry partnerships into schools, including in clean energy and priority industry sectors.
4. Promote case studies, mentorship opportunities, and guidelines for school-industry partnerships.
Priority area 2 - Actions
Show morePriority area 2 – Diversity and inclusion
Our approach:
- Attracting under-represented groups into STEM through diverse role models, inspiring educators and effective outreach and access initiatives.
- Retaining and promoting under-represented groups through supportive education paths and workplaces, dismantling barriers and biases and providing support to ensure they thrive.
Actions
5. Explore the use of WA STEM ambassadors, including Premier’s Science Awards and WA Innovators of the Year awards winners, and/or case studies to showcase priority industry sectors and diverse role models.
6. Promote and create career enabling education and training pathways, building on the Pathways to Post-School success review findings where relevant.
7. Trial diversity reporting requirements for Science portfolio grants.
8. Build the capacity of schools to deliver Two-Way Science and support the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in partnership with Aboriginal communities.
Priority area 3 - Actions
Show morePriority area 3 – STEM culture and literacy
Our approach:
- Supporting community engagement initiatives to build interest, understanding, and positive attitudes towards science and technology and their critical importance to our future.
- Building STEM literacy and foundational skills to ensure people in WA are equipped to thrive in the modern world and make informed decisions.
Actions
9. Develop new exhibits at Scitech to showcase First Nations science, WA scientists and space industries.
10. Maximise impacts from and collaborations between WA STEM engagement organisations, including Scitech, Perth Zoo, WA Museum and Gravity Discovery Centre.
11. Continue to support the Premier’s Science Awards, the WA Science Hall of Fame, National Science Week and Inspiring Western Australia.
12. Trial STEM engagement reporting requirements for Science portfolio grants.
13. Measure community attitudes towards STEM through regular survey.
Cross-cutting enablers - Actions
Show moreCross-cutting enabler 1 – Support and facilities for educators
Our approach:
- Encouraging access to effective STEM resources, professional learning, micro-credentials, and industry engagement for educators.
Actions
14. Recognise and showcase excellent STEM educators at schools, universities and registered training providers through new categories at the Premier’s Science Awards.
15. Continue research and evaluation work on the WA Certificate of Education (WACE) Refreshment.
16. Build on the Quality Teaching Strategy and Teaching for Impact resources for STEM teaching support and resources.
17. Promote opportunities for STEM educators to engage in relevant professional learning, micro-credentials and/or collaborations with STEM professionals and industries.
Cross-cutting enabler 2 – Coordination and collaboration
Our approach:
- Facilitating coordination and collaboration across the STEM ecosystem to maximise collective outcomes.
Actions
18. Promote available webpages and online platforms for sharing information where appropriate.
19. Meet with stakeholders, hold working groups/roundtables on specific issues as required.
Cross-cutting enabler 3 – Alignment and leverage
Our approach:
- Maximising industry, community and government opportunities to align with and leverage relevant international, national, state and local activities.
Actions
20. Align with and leverage Commonwealth initiatives and grants programs where appropriate.
21. Participate in national forums and maximise interstate collaborations
Cross-cutting enabler 4 – Communication and advocacy
Our approach:
- Facilitating effective evaluation and measurement of outcomes to enhance effectiveness, inform best practice and identify proven initiatives to scale up.
Action
22. Share key messages for STEM to support STEM ambassadors and engagement providers.
Cross-cutting enabler 5 – Evaluation and measurement
Our approach:
- Facilitating effective evaluation and measurement of outcomes to enhance effectiveness, inform best practice and identify proven initiatives to scale up.
Actions
23. Promote evaluation tools and best practice from Western Australia and other jurisdictions.
24. Develop measures for this mission update and publish data where appropriate.
25. Explore options to make ethics approvals to study student cohorts easier.
