Women’s shift to STEM is ‘critical’

Australia needs to encourage more women to study STEM because the nation has a critical lack of workers.

Australia needs to encourage more women to study STEM because the nation has a critical lack of workers.

It is crucially important for Australia’s future for government and industry to do more to encourage young women to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), says federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic.

“We need to encourage more women to study STEM because the nation has a critical lack of workers,” Husic tells The Australian. “We need to send a clear signal, particularly from government and business, that this is critical to the nation: these skills are vital for longer-term growth.”

Husic, whose Chifley constituency is in western Sydney, praised the recent decision by Robin Khuda, the billionaire founder of data centre operator AirTrunk, to donate $100m towards creating a clearer path for women from western Sydney to get into STEM careers.

“This is the kind of philanthropic effort that can go a long way and potentially transform the trajectory of young people’s lives,” Husic says. “The fact that he came here as an international student, has become enormously successful in the tech space, and then given back to encourage others, particularly from under-represented backgrounds, to get into STEM, is a phenomenal contribution.”

Khuda’s three-stage program is specifically designed to address some of the key issues. The first stage encourages sustained interest in STEM from both boys and girls in early high school.

The second stage will establish a cohort of 1200 girls in years 11 and 12 who will receive academic and financial support, and will be guaranteed a place to study STEM subjects at the University of Sydney. And a final stage of 300 young women who will be eligible for a stipend of $33,500 to cover accommodation and living expenses.

Dai Le, the independent federal MP for Fowler.

Amanda Rose, founder of the Western Sydney Women organisation.

Dai Le, the independent federal MP for Fowler, believes the grant could be a game-changer.

“Every day I see hugely talented young women – and men – who are struggling to fulfil their potential,” she says. “Our community keeps on missing out on funding like this. We are often forgotten. I hope this grant really gets to the people who need it most, because it could transform lives, not just of the young women who now have an opportunity to go to university, but of their families and their communities.”

While the praise for Khuda’s donation has been almost universal, some are warning that despite his generosity there will still be challenges ahead.

“This type of funding needs to join with an education campaign to make sure that they’re reaching all students and explaining to them that whether or not you thought you’d go to uni previously, this is a potential opportunity for you,” says Amanda Rose, an entrepreneur, and the founder of Western Sydney Women.

Rose points out that young women from western Sydney face a steep climb to a career in a STEM industry.

She reels off a list: many aren’t aware of careers in STEM; in working-class households there is often pressure to get out and get a job; in some cases there can be cultural issues with trying to break into male-dominated industries; students feel guilt at not contributing to the family finances; and studying at university is expensive in terms of travel, books and time.

Husic, who tells The Australian that the government is going to endorse all 11 recommendations of the recently released Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, says awareness is crucial.

“I think it’s important to send the clear message to western Sydney students that they should imagine themselves studying in university and being able to do better for themselves,” Husic says.

“It’ll provide them with long-term, secure work, and they’ll also make a contribution to the nation, particularly if they’re taking up studies in STEM.

“It’s particularly important that we’ve got women who are champions of STEM themselves talking up the importance of getting other women and girls studying STEM and taking up careers.”

Khuda’s travel grant will be important: it takes 90 minutes each way to commute by train from Mt Druitt to the nearest station to the University of Sydney, and costs ­almost $60 a week. Husic is also keen to encourage universities to establish hubs in western Sydney, bringing educational opportunities to the community rather than making the student community travel to the university.

“It’s important to make unis more accessible in a geographic sense,” he says.

“It’s one of the reasons why I fought for the set up of uni study hubs around Mt Druitt, to encourage young people to see themselves going to uni and being able to have support on the ground when they do start, because many of them are first in their family going to uni.”

Rose says that just getting girls to university to study STEM will not be enough on its own, particularly given the all-too-common stigma attached to being from western Sydney.

“You want to be very careful that you’re bringing girls into. To make sure it’s an environment where they’re going to be respected and not treated differently because of where they’re from.”