Media Release by ATSE
Australia must urgently rethink its approach to encouraging careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to tackle the growing national skills crisis.
At its first major conference in a decade, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has called for an urgent step change to make STEM skills accessible, attainable and aspirational to all Australians.
The conference – ACTIVATE – commences today, and brings together hundreds of leaders from across a range of sectors, and 50 speakers, in an event zeroing in on the STEM skill shortage facing Australia – and what must be done to address it.
Launched this morning at the event, a new report from ATSE has called for decisive action to attract and retain the workforce Australia needs to be a global STEM superpower.
The report, Our STEM Skilled Future, calls for a common language to clearly define skills needs in every sector, evaluation of the fragmented STEM education landscape, incentivising life-long learning to support reskilling, and communication campaigns to demonstrate why STEM matters to all age groups.
Day 1 of ACTIVATE, Wednesday 26 October, features 25 of ATSE’s 2022 new Fellows; leaders in their fields spanning structural engineering, research commercialisation, sustainable technology and mining, marine modelling, and cutting-edge health systems. Professor the Hon. Kim Carr FTSE, former Senator from Victoria, Health technology innovators Professor Madhu Bhaskaran FTSE and Professor Mary Foley FTSE, and renowned climate change expert, Professor Mark Howden FTSE are a few among the high calibre group.
Day 2, Thursday 27 October, brings tech innovators and political leaders to the stage, such as Dr Anousheh Ansari, Astronaut and CEO of XPRIZE Foundation; Professor Tanya Monro AC FTSE FAA, Chief Defence Scientist; Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons AO FTSE FRS FAA, Silicon quantum computing pioneer; The Hon. Alister Henskens SC MP, NSW Minister for Science, Innovation & Technology; Andy Penn, Former CEO, Telstra; Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla FTSE FAA, Director SMaRT Centre, UNSW; Sam Maresh, Country Leader, GE Australia; Romily Madew, CEO Engineers Australia, among many more.
ATSE President Hugh Bradlow said, “By 2024, we need 100,000 more digitally skilled workers. By 2025, we need 40,000 more engineers. By 2030, up to 30% of existing jobs could be displaced by automation. Australia is unprepared for the future and the clock is ticking.
“With ACTIVATE 2022, ATSE will catalyse action across government, industry and academia for a significantly enhanced technology workforce – informed by our country’s leading and emerging applied scientists, engineers and technologists,” said Professor Bradlow.
