Unless otherwise noted, copyright (and any other intellectual property rights, if any) in this publication is owned by the Commonwealth of Australia.

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2 Commonwealth of Australia 2015 Ownership of intellectual property rights Unless otherwise noted, copyright (and any other intellectual property rights, if any) in this publication is owned by the Commonwealth of Australia. Creative Commons licence Attribution CC BY All material in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence, save for content supplied by third parties, logos, any material protected by trademark or otherwise noted in this publication, and the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence is a standard form licence agreement that allows you to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this publication provided you attribute the work. A summary of the licence terms is available from The full licence terms are available from Content contained herein should be attributed as Commonwealth of Australia: Vision for a Science Nation. Responding to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Australia s Future Disclaimer: The Australian Government as represented by the Department of Industry and Science has exercised due care and skill in the preparation and compilation of the information and data in this publication. Notwithstanding, the Commonwealth of Australia, its officers, employees, or agents disclaim any liability, including liability for negligence, loss howsoever caused, damage, injury, expense or cost incurred by any person as a result of accessing, using or relying upon any of the information or data in this publication to the maximum extent permitted by law. No representation expressed or implied is made as to the currency, accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information contained in this publication. The reader should rely on their own inquiries to independently confirm the information and comment on which they intend to act. This publication does not indicate commitment by the Australian Government to a particular course of action. Cover image International collaborative research links (data sourced from the Scopus database, 2012). The lines represent co-authorship of scientific publications; the size of the circles represent the number of collaborations between institutions within a mapped location.

3 The global economy is changing. New technologies and smart companies lead. New industries and new sources of wealth are emerging. New skills are required for workers at all levels At the core of almost every agenda is a focus on STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. - Professor Ian Chubb AC September 2014

4 Ministers foreword The Australian Government has a vision for our nation in which science is an integral part of our society and our economy. The value of science is measured beyond the confines of any one section of our community. To make the most of our opportunities for the future, we must ensure that science becomes one of the bedrocks of our economy. This will be an Australia in which science is woven, not only into our classrooms, but also into our boardrooms, our workplaces and our living rooms, as one of the building blocks of our prosperity. Delivering on this vision will be a challenge, but it s a task that is well within the capabilities of a nation with a proven track record of creativity, innovation and determination, and a willingness to think outside the square. The Australian Government is developing a comprehensive science policy that will be underpinned by a strategy for a science nation in which scientific thinking and applied science can be found in all sectors of our economy. This policy will be made up of several components. One important element of this broad policy will be the development of our capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. A paper from the Chief Scientist, released in September 2014, set out the case for concerted effort in STEM. It has received positive feedback from all sectors of the community. In April this year, the Commonwealth Science Council considered actions the Government could take to respond. The Government has set in train further activities and policies to improve our STEM performance and address his recommendations. This paper highlights those activities and identifies additional actions that can be taken. An important part of our nation s STEM development is to expand the reach of STEM in schools and universities, but a thorough STEM strategy is about far more than simply igniting a passion for STEM in our classrooms. It s about applying STEM skills to address the challenges we face as a country, and to ensure we can maximise our opportunities in a rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive global economy. Enhancing our capacity in STEM will translate into direct benefits for our society through improvements in our economy, new opportunities for our industries and advances in our standard of living. This will require improved coordination across the entire Government and beyond. It will mean investing wisely and coherently, for the long-term and in the national interest. We will continue to work to ensure that Australia has high quality STEM education across all levels. Improved STEM education will mean we have world-leading scientific research. It will mean our businesses can improve their productivity by working with researchers to solve problems. It will mean we can work with international partners to solve, manage or mitigate the issues that confront us. There is no doubt about the need for action to harness science, technology, engineering and mathematics for national gain. Other countries have been putting actions in place to ensure STEM can lift them to a globally competitive position.

5 The consultation on STEM will be one very important component in delivering our plan to develop a nation in which science is not only valued for its intrinsic merit, but also for its practical applications. Our actions in this area will be complemented by the full suite of science policy developments, including our focus on national science and research priorities, boosting commercial returns from research and creating stronger links and greater collaboration rates between industry and research. We will continue to work with the Commonwealth Science Council and the Council of Australian Governments Education Council to ensure that actions are coherent and complementary. The changes we need to make demand commitment and a collaborative effort. We will work with states and territories, business and industry, universities and research agencies to implement the Government s science policy. We welcome all their contributions to this important phase of national consultation. The Hon Ian Macfarlane MP Minister for Industry and Science The Hon Christopher Pyne MP Minister for Education and Training

6 Introduction Australian competitiveness... 2 Targeting innovation efforts... 3 Supporting translation and commercialisation of STEM discoveries... 4 Integrating STEM experts across industry, business and public sectors... 5 Building an entrepreneurial culture using STEM Education and training... 7 Advancing a national STEM in school education strategy... 9 Inspirational teaching and inspired learning Connecting schools with STEM professionals Improved STEM graduate employability Better community engagement with STEM Research Long term planning Supporting research careers Enhancing dissemination of Australian research Connecting industry to research solutions International engagement Developing international engagement strategies Building and maintaining government-to-government linkages Supporting exchange of knowledge and research talent Leveraging science diplomacy Appendix: Recommendations from STEM: Australia s Future... 22

7 Have your say The purpose of this paper is to test the Government s response to the Chief Scientist s recommendations. The paper suggests how government could respond and asks what else could be done, by the government or by the business, community and education sectors. We are providing the opportunity for Australians to have their say. Consultation Questions Do these proposals adequately respond to the Chief Scientist s recommendations both now and over the longer term? Do you consider there are any areas that require more urgent action? Have we missed anything? Which of these proposals will have the greatest impact on Australia s STEM performance? Which of these proposals will enable you and your organisation to contribute to Australia s STEM performance?

8 Introduction In September 2014, Australia s Chief Scientist laid out the need for change in his paper Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Australia s Future. Put simply, Australia risks falling behind if we do not address the gaps in STEM in this country. The Chief Scientist s paper identified critical vulnerabilities in our STEM efforts, which need to be addressed if Australia s economic productivity, competitiveness and national well-being are to improve. The Chief Scientist made 24 recommendations (Appendix A) to the Government in the areas of: Australian competitiveness; education and training; research; and international engagement. The need for change is not in doubt. The path we take must be coordinated, long term and bipartisan. It must result in enduring benefit for future generations of Australians. To achieve this, the Chief Scientist recommended a whole-of-government approach be taken to STEM. This response will be developed in consultation with the Commonwealth Science Council. The Government established the Council in 2014 as the pre-eminent body for advice on science and technology in Australia. Chaired by the Prime Minister, the Science Council advises the Government on areas of national strength, on current and future capability and on ways to improve connections between Government, research organisations, universities and business. 1

9 1. Australian competitiveness STEM must underpin a differentiated and readily adaptable economy that is globally competitive and will enable all Australians to benefit from the opportunities that follow. STEM: Australia s Future, September 2014 STEM: Australia s Future recommends that the Government: Establish an Australian Innovation Board to draw together existing Australian programmes and target research and innovation effort Support the translation and commercialisation of STEM discoveries Accelerate the integration of STEM experts into industry, business and public sectors Promote an entrepreneurial culture The Government aims to make our industries more innovative and internationally competitive by embedding STEM in all levels of the Australian economy. We need to improve: our performance on key global measures of competitiveness, entrepreneurship and innovation; the proportion of Australia s STEM experts that work in industry, business and the public sector outside of universities; the ability of Australian businesses to produce new-to-market innovations on a larger scale as a result of working with STEM experts; and business pathways to global supply chains. Relevant activities already underway The Government is working to place science at the centre of industry policy. We are focussed on lifting Australia s rate of business and research collaboration to deliver commercial outcomes, economic growth and productivity gains. The Government released the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda in October This sets out goals for economic growth, greater innovation and entrepreneurship, a more skilled workforce and a more business-friendly economic and regulatory environment. As part of this agenda, five high growth sectors in Australia were identified. These are advanced manufacturing, food and agribusiness, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, mining equipment, technology and services, and oil, gas and energy resources. We are targeting these sectors through the Industry Growth Centres Initiative. For individual firms, the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme is the Government s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity. It helps firms improve capability and commercialise new products, processes and services by working with researchers and STEM experts to solve problems. It also helps businesses access global and domestic supply chains. The Export Market Development Grants scheme also assists SMEs access export markets and global supply chains. 2

10 New investment in innovative Australian ideas and emerging companies will be encouraged as part of enhanced Significant Investment Visa and new Premium Investor Visa arrangements. The National Survey of Research Commercialisation (NSRC) measures commercialisation activity in Australian publicly funded research organisations. The Government is reviewing the NSRC to ensure future collections are aligned with current and emerging opportunities, target sector priorities, and can be compared to international data sources. To acknowledge the contribution of entrepreneurs and innovators, the Government has introduced a new Prime Minister s Prize for the commercial application of science from What more could be done? Targeting innovation efforts The Government has announced nine national Science and Research Priorities, and five industry growth sectors. Capability mapping of the science and research priorities and associated practical challenges will provide industry with a better understanding of Australia s research capability in areas of national interest (discussed in more detail under the Research theme). Five Growth Centres will be established by the end of They will bring together SMEs, industry organisations and researchers to tackle the challenges faced in each sector. They will enable industry sectors to access knowledge, set priorities and use research to solve problems that limit competitiveness. Each Growth Centre will develop knowledge priorities to clearly articulate the kind of research and innovation each sector needs. Businesses in each sector will be able to pool their efforts to pursue research that supports these needs. This will help researchers and innovators understand the practical problems firms need to solve to increase their competitiveness. The Innovation Australia Board supports industry innovation by overseeing innovation and venture capital programmes, as an independent statutory authority. The Government will amend the responsibilities of the Innovation Australia Board to address Australia s science and innovation needs more clearly. The Government will also review the Board s membership to ensure that it has enough science and innovation expertise to lead the way on innovation. The Innovation Australia Board will oversee relevant Industry portfolio programmes such as the Cooperative Research Centres Programme and the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme. The Government could also ask the Innovation Australia Board to identify priorities for innovation that complement the Science and Research Priorities and the industry knowledge priorities. The Commonwealth Science Council and the National Science, Technology and Research Committee will help ensure the Government s strategy and priorities for research and innovation are coherent and mutually reinforcing. 3

11 Supporting translation and commercialisation of STEM discoveries Australia can foster growth in SMEs by encouraging them to innovate. The Government could develop a programme to encourage firms to develop innovative solutions to challenges identified by Government based on domestic and global market opportunities. Small business solving national challenges international examples The German Federation of Industrial Research Associations supports research and development in SMEs by building alliances with partners from industry, science and government. It aims to promote research and development for SMEs, as well as qualifying the new generation of academics in innovative fields and organising the distribution of scientific knowledge. Sweden s Innovation Agency VINNOVA provides support to SMEs to investigate international market conditions and develop prototypes of innovative products and services. The United States Small Business Innovation Research programme offers small businesses research and development grants for ideas with the potential to be scaled. This helps businesses bridge the gap between concept and a commercially viable product. The United Kingdom s Small Business Research Initiative connects national challenges with innovative ideas from industry. Government departments and public bodies hold open competitions to find innovative solutions to public sector problems. Winners are awarded a staged, fully funded research and development contract to develop new commercial products or services. Though the programme focuses on SMEs, any organisation can submit an application. The Government is implementing a strategy to improve the translation of research into commercial outcomes. Many of the Boosting the commercial returns from research strategy s initiatives are covered in other parts of this paper. Initiatives include: developing simpler, more transparent research block grant arrangements that support greater industry and end-user engagement, while retaining a focus on excellence; reforming Australia s intellectual property (IP) regime; reviewing the R&D Tax Incentive; developing a plan to provide business with greater online access to publicly funded research and researchers expertise; reviewing research training to ensure research training students have greater opportunities to gain experience and skills that are relevant to industry, so they graduate ready to work with industry and bring their ideas to market; and improving information about collaboration and commercialisation by developing better tools to assess the research system including enhanced metrics on engagement and knowledge transfer with industry, research outcomes and impact. The R&D Tax Incentive is a broad-based, market driven programme accessible to all industry sectors, including SMEs. It provides a targeted tax offset to encourage more companies to engage in research and development. However there may be better ways to use the scheme. This will be explored when the Government reviews the R&D Tax Incentive through the Taxation White Paper process. 4

12 A range of IP reforms is being pursued to keep Australia s IP system modern and flexible. IP Australia has consulted on legislative reforms to streamline and modernise processes, helping all businesses engage with the IP system. An IP Toolkit will assist with IP collaboration and licensing between researchers and businesses, especially small businesses. IP Australia is also expanding its range of services, including by: providing analytical services to universities and publicly funded research organisations; developing IP Government Open Data, an open dataset on all Australian IP rights for policymakers, researchers and IP professionals; and developing Source IP, a platform for public sector research agencies to indicate patent licensing preferences and facilitate collaboration with business. In addition, the Competition Policy Review recommended an overarching review of IP, focussing on new technology and market developments. Integrating STEM experts across industry, business and public sectors In Australia, nearly 70 per cent of the research and development workforce is employed in universities and publicly funded research agencies, but there is limited engagement between business and researchers. Australia must drive further engagement to increase business competitiveness. Further work could be done to identify what motivates people with STEM skills to work with business and vice versa. Data sources such as the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys could be used to better map career paths of STEM qualified people. Integrating STEM experts across business and industry must begin with their education. Research students in STEM fields would benefit from opportunities to access programmes that provide practical experience in industry and help solve industry problems. The Review of Research Training will include consideration of how to provide such opportunities. The Research Connections element of the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme, which helps businesses work with researchers to solve problems, is building on the success of forerunner programmes. Feedback on these programmes has been largely positive. The Government could consider increasing the scale or targeting this programme to increase its impact. There is also an opportunity through the Innovation Australia Board to examine successful models for collaboration between business and research that exist at the state level, in business or in the science and research sector. These models could be integrated into existing programmes, or could operate separately. Building an entrepreneurial culture using STEM A culture of entrepreneurialism starts with an attitude, is sparked by role models and is sustained by investment and incentives. From early education through to starting a business or marketing an idea, future entrepreneurs must be given opportunities to succeed. Successful entrepreneurs and scientists serve as valuable role models who can both inspire future innovators and STEM experts, and encourage a growing entrepreneurial culture. The Government could capitalise on the reputation of the Prime Minister s Prizes for Science by promoting award winners as role models for the wider community. This approach could be extended to a national communication strategy for promoting successful innovators and entrepreneurs from both public and private sectors. 5

13 Universities need to continue to develop their courses to respond to the need to cultivate a more entrepreneurial culture in Australia. This could be done through entrepreneurial skills training embedded in formal university courses or extracurricular initiatives. As the Australian economy transitions to new areas of growth, we must give start-up businesses a better chance at succeeding. Venture capital is an important private funding source for early start-up companies. The Government could encourage Australian businesses to scale-up in Australia by providing incentives for more venture capital investment. The Government could also consider introducing tax incentives to attract capital into the Australian venture capital sector, and reducing red tape associated with managing venture capital funds. The tax system has a number of elements that seek to encourage entrepreneurship and innovative businesses. The Tax White Paper process is considering taxation measures to encourage investment in innovation and entrepreneurship. 6

14 2. Education and training The education system must ensure that students not only acquire knowledge, but also learn how to apply and adapt this knowledge to a variety of contexts. Students must have clear pathways from the classroom to a career in the STEM economy. Our needs and our capabilities must align. STEM: Australia s Future, September 2014 STEM: Australia s Future recommends that the Government: Support the national interest by maintaining the pipeline of STEM graduates, and increase the recognition of STEM education and careers as a public good Lift the number of qualified STEM teachers Provide all pre-service and in-service STEM teachers with training and professional development opportunities to deliver contemporary science using contemporary pedagogy, with a focus on creativity and inquiry-based learning more like science is practised Ensure active scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians are involved in the delivery of content in pre-service STEM teacher education courses at university Develop science literacy in schools Use curricula and assessment criteria, from primary to tertiary levels, to promote the development of long-lasting skills including quantitative skills, critical thinking, creativity, and behavioural and social skills in parallel with disciplinary knowledge Ensure that changes to the Australian Curriculum do not diminish the place of STEM Ensure that the skills of STEM graduates are aligned with workforce needs Increase the uptake of STEM across the workforce Facilitate community engagement with STEM Increase communication between STEM practitioners and the community The Government aims to ensure that the skills needed both for the jobs of the future and for operating effectively in modern society are being developed and applied to the nation s key challenges. Improving Australia s participation and performance in STEM needs a national response from the key partners in education and training. We need to improve: participation in STEM subjects in our schools through a national strategy; the training of mathematics and science teachers so that mathematics and science content is taught at a high standard based on contemporary evidence of effective teaching practice, from primary to tertiary level; the effectiveness of partnerships between schools, vocational education and training providers, research agencies and universities and STEM professionals and businesses; the skills of STEM graduates, to meet the demands of today s STEM careers and the professions of the future; and community engagement with science and technology. 7

15 Relevant activities already underway The Government is working with universities to make available a national literacy and numeracy test to give effect to the requirement that graduating teachers have personal literacy and numeracy skills within the top 30 per cent of the population. In response to the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers report released in February 2015, the Government has tasked the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership to strengthen course accreditation arrangements. This aims to make clear what universities need to include in each course to ensure their teacher education students possess the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the classroom, paying particular attention to teaching literacy and numeracy. New course accreditation arrangements will also require universities to make sure that every new primary school teacher will graduate with a subject specialisation, with a focus on science, mathematics or a language. The Government has commenced work with states and territories and their teacher regulatory authorities to improve initial teacher education and teaching workforce data to better match demand and supply in the teaching workforce, especially around STEM. The accreditation arrangements will also require universities to ensure their selection practices consider the academic capability and personal characteristics of aspiring teachers as part of their entry into initial teacher education programmes. These reforms will increase the number of teachers with a STEM specialisation in primary schools and improve the skills available within all schools for the teaching of science and mathematics. The Government has funded the Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers Programme. Under this programme, five university-led consortia, involving 25 universities, as well as research organisations, are collaborating to drive major improvement in the quality of mathematics and science training for teachers. University faculties of science, mathematics and education are collaborating to design new pre-service teacher education courses that better combine content and pedagogy so that mathematics and science are taught as dynamic, forward-looking and collaborative human endeavours, and teachers will have the required and relevant pedagogical skills. The Government supports flexible pathways such as the Teach for Australia programme to attract high-quality entrants into teaching. Around 40 per cent of the current cohort of Teach for Australia Associates are eligible to teach STEM. The vocational education and training (VET) sector is a major developer of STEM skills for the workplace. The Government s VET reform agenda will ensure the content and design of qualifications, including those in fields of study related to STEM, are fit-for-purpose for jobs in the modern economy. New Standards for Registered Training Organisations, which came into effect in April 2015, will increase the quality of teaching and improve connections between training providers and industry. The initiatives being progressed through the VET reform agenda will strengthen the STEM skills in the Australian workforce. A strategy for community STEM engagement has been established through the Inspiring Australia Initiative which will work with government and non-government bodies at national, state and local levels. The strategy supports researchers, communicators and governments to work together to improve the quality, reach and impact of STEM engagement across Australia. 8

16 The Government is expanding the number of regional hubs across Australia from 20 to 40 to increase participation in National Science Week and year-round science engagement activities. Through its support of the Australian Science Media Centre, the Government is promoting access to evidence-based science and expertise. Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in STEM STEM education is the key to entry to many professional careers. The development of a strong Indigenous presence in the professions will provide role models for subsequent generations of Indigenous school students and the champions for future professional advancement by Indigenous graduates. While growth in Indigenous participation in STEM disciplines in higher education is strong, it is coming off a very low base. The Indigenous share of domestic undergraduate enrolments in the natural and physical sciences, IT, and engineering disciplines in 2013 was under one per cent. Increasing Indigenous participation and success in STEM disciplines in schools and in higher education is a priority for the Government. The Government will respond positively to the recommendations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council aimed at increasing indigenous participation in STEM. Private-Public Partnership to Improve Participation in STEM The Government recognises the value of working with other key partners to increase opportunities for students who have been under-represented in STEM careers. For example, the Government will continue to support private-public sector partnerships, such as the BHP funding of $28 million over five years for the CSIRO to manage six programmes that aim to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in STEM as they progress through primary, secondary and tertiary education, and into employment. What more could be done? Advancing a national STEM in school education strategy Excellence in STEM education in schools inspires and encourages children to continue scientific education beyond what is mandated by the curriculum. The Government is committed to restoring the focus on STEM in schools through its Students First policy. The Government is also leading a national effort with state and territory, independent and Catholic education bodies, through the COAG Education Council, to advance a national STEM in school education strategy. The strategy would prioritise joint national action to: increase student participation in STEM subjects, including consideration of increasing the extent to which STEM subjects are compulsory at senior secondary levels; and improve the collection and reporting of data on STEM participation. The COAG Education Council could also identify opportunities to share information about current activities by schools and teacher employers aimed at delivering high quality education in STEM subjects and improving the attractiveness of teaching in STEM disciplines. An additional focus on Indigenous STEM education will contribute to increasing the number of Indigenous students ready to tackle STEM education at university. 9

17 Inspirational teaching and inspired learning Teachers need contemporary and deep content knowledge of STEM subjects as well as the skills to teach them effectively. Currently, some teachers without a background in STEM are teaching these subjects. As recommended in the Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers report, the Government has committed to a review of the Graduate level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to make sure they continue to reflect the knowledge, skills and capabilities required of beginning teachers. Consistent with the recommendations in the Chief Scientist s paper, the Government has announced and is implementing new initiatives to improve the focus on STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools by: providing innovative mathematics resources for primary and secondary school teachers and students through Mathematics by Inquiry; providing greater exposure to computer coding across different year levels in Australian schools to expand the pool of ICT-skilled workers; establishing an innovation-focused P-TECH pilot programme to help develop the next generation of innovators and job-ready graduates through active engagement of industry in curriculum design and student learning; and increasing participation in the Summer schools for STEM students programme, with a focus on reaching underrepresented cohorts such as girls, disadvantaged and Indigenous students and those living in regional and remote areas. The Australian Curriculum for school education includes a strong focus on STEM. In addition to learning areas in Science, Mathematics and Technologies, the curriculum embeds seven general capabilities including numeracy, ICT capability, critical and creative thinking, ethical understanding and personal and social capability which are essential in equipping students to function effectively in STEM-oriented workplaces. The Government s recent additional investment in STEM education demonstrates its strong support for inquiry based learning in STEM subjects. Through the COAG Education Council, the Government will work with states and territories to ensure that the outcomes of the 2014 Review of the Australian Curriculum recognise the importance of STEM in school education and are guided by the Chief Scientist s recommendations in relation to depth of content knowledge and pedagogical skills. The Office of the Chief Scientist will use NAPLAN data to determine approaches to maths and numeracy teaching that have led to improvements in numeracy performance. The outcomes of the project could be used as a national evidence base to drive improvement in numeracy capabilities across all jurisdictions. Connecting schools with STEM professionals Linking teachers and students to STEM professionals in real workplaces provides inspiration and motivation and strengthens knowledge of contemporary practices as well as helping to secure the pipeline of future STEM professionals. The Government could require all of Australia s publicly funded research agencies to participate in school engagement programmes like the Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools programme, which has participants from the Commonwealth Scientific and 10

18 Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the Bureau of Meteorology. The Government can also work with the business community to establish a database of businesses willing to engage with schools and students to expand their exposure to STEM in the workforce. The Government can ensure the Schools Vocational Learning and Training Working Group, established under the COAG Education Council and which includes representatives of the business community, will include school engagement with the STEM workforce as part of its agenda. During 2015, the Working Group will explore ways to improve industry and employer engagement with schools for vocational learning (including career education). Improved STEM graduate employability The Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group have identified an increasing need for STEM education and training at senior secondary and tertiary levels to address employability skills, provide quality career advice to guide study paths and foster an entrepreneurial culture on campus. The higher education sector and business can work together to strengthen the focus on the employability skills of STEM graduates. Australia s first National Strategy for Work Integrated Learning was recently released by Universities Australia and the business community to help create the partnerships needed for activities such as work placements and internships. To contribute towards building those partnerships, the Government will bring education providers, business and philanthropists together to discuss how they might work together to communicate the career opportunities available to STEM graduates and develop graduate skills relevant to labour market needs. The Government is developing a new Employer Satisfaction Survey to measure employer satisfaction with higher education graduate skills. The proposed areas to be surveyed are: foundation skills (which includes written and oral communication, critical and analytical thinking and problem-solving), adaptive capacity, teamwork, technical skills and domain-specific knowledge, employability skills and enterprise skills (such as understanding of business practice, initiative and customer focus). The survey will provide an evidence base on STEM graduates to guide future interventions to improve uptake of STEM in the workforce. Without imposing a significant additional regulatory burden on the higher education sector, the Government could work with the sector to improve the data it collects on employer satisfaction and graduate outcomes. The Government s VET reform agenda will enable industry to play a stronger role in new arrangements for the development of training packages through industry reference committees and the recently established industry-led Australian Industry Skills Committee. As these initiatives progress, the Government will monitor the extent to which the new arrangements are meeting industries need for STEM skilled graduates. The Australian Postgraduate Awards support postgraduate students of exceptional promise who undertake a higher degree by research in any discipline. The Government could explore ways to enhance the Australian Postgraduate Awards by offering a number of targeted high value PhD scholarships in priority fields, including STEM fields (such as agricultural science, engineering and information and communications technology) to attract high potential STEM graduates to research careers. 11

19 Better community engagement with STEM Effective communication about STEM and its significance can inspire young people to pursue studies in core STEM subjects and to develop STEM-related careers. This helps to build a scientifically and technologically skilled workforce and to increase STEM literacy within the community. National Science Week currently aims to have at least 10 per cent of Australians participating in associated activities by The Government could boost its community engagement by working with states and territories to build on its regional hubs and develop a national programme of year-round events to increase the level of STEM engagement for children, youth, families and adults across urban, regional and rural Australia. The Government could encourage publicly funded research agencies to support citizen science initiatives to augment relevant data collections and promote community awareness. Citizen Science Initiatives Citizen science has been defined as "the systematic collection and analysis of data; development of technology; testing of natural phenomena; and the dissemination of these activities by researchers on a primarily avocational basis..." (Finalizing a Definition of "Citizen Science" and "Citizen Scientists", OpenScientist, 3 September 2011) Citizen science initiatives can increase public engagement, promote awareness and enhance data sharing and collaboration between scientists, managers and the community on a national scale. A major citizen science project is an integral part of National Science Week each year. In 2015, ABC Science Online is developing a programme for the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research s Galaxy and Mass Assembly project where citizen scientists will be invited to classify some 300,000 galaxies and helping to determine the large scale structure of the universe. Other Government funded citizen science initiatives include: The Range Extension Database and Mapping project (Redmap) which invites citizen scientists to share sightings of uncommon marine species, and monitor the coastline. The Atlas of Living Australia which aggregates biodiversity data from a wide range of sources including citizen scientists, and makes it available and usable online. The Weather Observations Website from the Bureau of Meteorology which enables citizen scientists to share weather information and observations. The museum and wider informal learning sector provides a direct avenue for Australians to engage with and be enthused by STEM. In addition to science centres such as Questacon in Canberra, Scitech in Perth and Scienceworks in Melbourne, there are diverse informal learning resources provided by museums, botanic gardens, zoos, marine discovery centres, environmental education centres, observatories and other institutions across the country. The Government could work with local and state governments to achieve a coordinated approach to science centres to ensure access to STEM learning and engagement opportunities, including in regional areas. This could include the development of STEMfocused exhibitions that tour regional Australia. 12

20 The Government s new science.gov.au website will host information about science in government, industry, education, community, infrastructure and international science. The Government could consider the merits of expanding the science.gov.au website to encompass the broader STEM enterprise in Australia making it a central platform for scientists, educators, employers, parents and students to share information about STEM. Historically, training in STEM fields has not had a focus on media or communication beyond academic settings. The Government could build on the Inspiring Australia s Science Communication toolkit and work with the higher education sector to improve communication training for students undertaking STEM degrees. Australian businesses are an important source of inspiration and innovation in the Australian science sector. The Government could work with industry to deliver a programme of STEM events in each capital city, drawing on scientists to inform industry leaders and decision makers about the importance of STEM at all levels, including at the local level. 13