Budget to deliver STEM boost for women

Bid to increase women’s participation in science, mathematics and technology careers is on the budget agenda.

Currently, less than 30 per cent of university STEM graduates are female. Picture: Peter Lorimer

The bid to increase women’s participation in science, mathematics and technology careers will receive a financial boost in next week’s federal budget, amid growing concern around the negative impacts of gender inequity on the economy.

Due to announce $3.4 million of STEM initiatives on Saturday, Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews said the under-representation of women in STEM was an issue of national importance.

Currently, less than 30 per cent of university STEM graduates are female, while women are significantly under-represented across the STEM workforce, accounting for only 12 per cent of the workforce in construction, 17 per cent in mining and 19 per cent in utilities and information and communications technology.

Even among those women who are qualified and employed in STEM roles, their representation in the higher-paid roles remains low, with only 12 per cent of women falling into the top income bracket.

“We know that STEM is the engine of … innovation and wealth,” Ms Andrews said.

“We must make sure we’re strengthening our country’s science and broader STEM capabilities, applying our combined human intellect and skill to our big challenges and growing our workforce and economy.

“In order to have the widest talent pool possible we need to ensure all Australians are supported to participate in STEM activities and careers.”

As part of its STEM budget package, the Coalition has committed $1.8m to extend the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative enabling higher education and research sectors can continue to improve on their gender equity policies and practices.

That investment will build on previous funding to the initiative, which is part of the previously announced $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda.

The government is also planning a $1.5m national digital awareness-raising initiative, which is expected to be fronted by Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith.

“We want to heighten the visibility of girls and women in STEM and showcase the diverse opportunities STEM study and careers can provide,” Ms Andrews said.

The boost follows warnings from industry that Australia needs to produce significantly more workers who are equipped with science, maths and technology skills for the nation to compete internationally.

It also follows calls to halt female attrition from the STEM pipeline at school. New figures on Year 12 mathematics participation, released by the Aust­ralian Mathematical Science­s Institute last month, reveal­ed that less than 7 per cent of girls studied advanced, or higher-level, maths in their final year of school in 2017. That was down from 7.8 per cent the year before, continuing a 20-year downward trend.