Engineers Australia has thrown its support behind the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Final Report, urging the Australian Government to swiftly adopt the recommendations outlined within the report alongside its Diversity in STEM Program Strategy.
The comprehensive report, comprising eleven key recommendations, aims to bolster diversity within Australia’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) sector.
These recommendations span from fostering equity and diversity throughout educational pathways and STEM careers to combating stereotypes and eliminating workplace discrimination.
Romilly Madew, CEO of Engineers Australia, emphasised the urgency for action, citing the engineering profession as a prime example necessitating a paradigm shift.
“In Australia, we are suffering a severe lack of diversity in engineering, just 14 per cent of working engineers in Australia are women. If we look down the pipeline, things do not improve – of our engineering graduates, just 19 per cent are women,” Ms Madew highlighted.
She underscored the critical importance of addressing this issue amidst heightened demand for engineers in the labour market, pointing out concerning trends such as declining uptake of maths and science subjects in schools and diminishing commencements in engineering studies over the past decade.
The release of the accompanying research report into STEM career pathways unveiled distinct diversity outcomes across various STEM disciplines.
Madew stressed the need for tailored policies and programs that cater to the unique dynamics of each STEM field.
“We need to elevate the “e” in STEM, because engineering has a unique place in the national agenda. It is critical that the panel’s recommended advisory council includes an engineering perspective and that strategies are tailored to meet the unique challenges across all STEM fields, moving away from a generic, one-size-fits-all STEM approach,” Madew said.
Engineers Australia said it is advocating for the government’s adoption of the report’s recommendation to develop programs supporting STEM-qualified migrants in securing local employment.
“We are pleased to see the Engineers Australia’s Global Engineering talent (GET) program highlighted in the report and we would be like to see a national rollout of this innovative program which provides migrant engineers with local experience, references and networks,” Madew remarked.
She added, “This program has the potential to meet the skilled workforce needs of Australian businesses, support infrastructure and energy transition efforts, and assist migrant engineers in finding roles commensurate with their skills.”
“To achieve the richness of thought that diversity will bring, we need to work together remove the roadblocks that stop Australians from entering, or remaining in, STEM professions,” Madew concluded.
