STEM skills: Future state, future skills – Accelerating STEM skills for Western Australia

The world has experienced significant change since 2019 and the need for STEM skills has continued to grow. In Australia, STEM jobs grew by 85% from 2010 to 2020 and continue to grow at more than twice the rate of other jobs. 

STEM skills are in demand in all industries, from engineering, technicians and trades servicing our housing, construction and resources sectors and clean energy transition, to diagnostic imaging services supporting our health care sector. 

Global factors such as migration changes and COVID-19 have exacerbated current skills shortages across a range of industries and accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. The pandemic accelerated the need for STEM skills, with 65,000 jobs created in Australia’s tech sector alone.

Data and digital skills are among the fastest growing emerging skills in the past 20 years. 

Research shows 1.5 million WA workers will need some reskilling over coming years due to changes enabled by critical technologies such as AI, robotics and advanced data analytics.

STEM skills underpin the success of the WA Government’s diversification and decarbonisation of the local economy, and ultimately achieving a smarter and more sustainable State by 2035.

Since the release of the 2019 State STEM skills strategy, 56 of 58 actions have been completed or considered finalised through ongoing activities.

And many Western Australians have embraced STEM education and training opportunities. 

Highlights

• About 90% of Year 12 students studied STEM subjects or STEM VET qualifications in 2023.

• 130 fee-free TAFE qualifications and skill sets introduced in priority industry areas.

• Enrolments in publicly funded, post-school VET STEM courses in WA increased by 46% between 2018 and 2023, supported by free or subsidised TAFE courses and skill sets.

• Career Practitioners Program launched – allowing school students to learn about different career paths.
   
• Year 9 Career Taster Program launched – offering industry-led experiences and career development training.
   
• 70 career practitioners placed in public secondary schools.
   
• 70 events held and 5,800 people engaged through the Digital and Technology Skills Program for under-represented groups.
   
• 136 schools have completed the STEM Enterprise Schools Program for low socio-economic public schools, with 84% reporting greater teacher confidence and capability in STEM. 
   

The mission update for 2024-2029 retains the same vision and goals as the original strategy and outlines a targeted approach for the next 5 years.

Vision – A globally competitive and innovative workforce with the skills to drive Western Australia’s technological future and create new job opportunities. 
 

Mission – To grow and bolster a diverse and inclusive, industry-connected STEM education and skills talent pool in Western Australia.

Goals:

• Ensure students have STEM skills for the jobs of the future.
   
• Reskill and upskill the current workforce with the STEM skills required to embrace a technological future.
   
• Break down barriers to ensure everyone can participate in a STEM future.

To achieve the mission update goals, the WA Government is taking action in the following priority areas.

Priority area 1 – Career pathways and industry linkages

Our approach:

• Showcasing priority and emerging STEM opportunities including careers in industries that diversify and decarbonize the WA economy.
   
• Fostering industry engagement with the community, schools (K-12), universities and VET providers to enhance and support education and training.

Priority 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 underrepresented groups in STEM through supportive education pathways and workplaces, dismantling barriers and biases and providing support to ensure they thrive.

Priority 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 Western Australians are equipped to thrive in the modern world and make informed decisions.

The mission update is underpinned by 5 cross-cutting enablers.

1. Support and facilities for educators – by encouraging access to effective STEM resources, professional learning, micro-credentials and industry engagement for educators.
    
2. Coordination and collaboration – by facilitating coordination and collaboration across the STEM ecosystem to maximise collective outcomes.
    
3. Alignment and leverage – by maximising industry, community and government opportunities to align with and leverage relevant international, national, state and local activities.
    
4. Communication and advocacy – by promoting clear and collective messaging to promote STEM and advance our shared vision and priority action areas.
    
5. Evaluation and measurement – by facilitating effective evaluation and measurement of outcomes to enhance effectiveness, inform best practice and identify proven initiatives to scale up.