Strengthening STEM Skills in Australia

As the world looks ahead to the needs of the future, many industries and sectors will require Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills from their employees. In Australia in particular, 44 percent of all jobs are likely to be automated in the next 20 years.

Yet—worryingly to many educators and even economists—many students lack an interest in STEM subjects. One challenge is that students don’t necessarily see the variety of work opportunities STEM skills can lead to. To address this gap, Samsung Electronics Australia and Questacon—The National Science and Technology Centre—launched Creators Wanted, an educational resource that shows students the importance of STEM skills and increases awareness of the relevance of these subject matters.

Reaching Youth Where they are: Web and Video

But how do you reach a youth population and encourage them to take up STEM subjects in their schools and universities? Through video and the web of course. Creators Wanted is using video content featuring celebrities to grab students’ attention and encourage their curiosity in STEM topics, in addition to using a website that helps students select high-school subjects and university courses and see STEM job possibilities.

In one such video, Reynold Poernomo, 2015 MasterChef contestant, highlights the role of STEM skills even in non-traditional STEM careers, like being a chef. For more on how Reynold uses STEM in baking his desserts using the 3D Le Croquembouche, watch this video:

What students must know is that STEM goes beyond science, technology, engineering and mathematics. By inspiring design-thinking and encouraging a practical skillset, Creators Wanted aims to teach students selecting subjects for their senior year at high school, as well as those that are considering tertiary education options, that there are a variety of career options that benefit from these skills.

Jane Lu, founder of Showpo, knows the value of these skills. She has used the problem-solving and hands-on skills she learned from her time studying STEM subjects to grow her Showpo business to the thriving company it is today. To hear more from Jane on how STEM skills benefitted her career, watch the video below.

STEM skills even have a place on the athletic field. Charlotte Caslick, an Olympic gold medalist and Australian Rugby Sevens player, uses technology to improve on-field performance and uses the newest science to inform her training programs. According to Charlotte, the problem-solving and practical skills students learn from STEM work, also empowers them on the field and can help young athletes take their game to the next level. Watch Charlotte engage with STEM on field in the following video:

Helping Build Tomorrow’s Workforce

Creators Wanted, part of Samsung Electronics Australia’s Corporate Social Responsibility portfolio, is helping young people see how STEM subjects can help them develop key skills valued across a varied of different careers—from cooking like Reynold, business acumen such as that of Jane, and athletic empowerment and achievement as demonstrated by Charlotte. These videos are helping students see the importance of STEM and the opportunities it can open. Given that many growing occupations require STEM skills, the work of Creators Wanted is much needed to develop a workforce for tomorrow.