Online journeys allow students to test drive STEM careers Wednesday, 18 November 2015

To encourage the next generation of students to engage in the pursuit of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, more than 15 leading Australian companies have launched a cloud-based internet platform which will allow students to experience a day in the life of a STEM leader.

The “Day of Stem” platform was launched on 17 November 2015, an effort to increase secondary and tertiary student interest and participation in STEM-related careers. The site is being rolled out over the next 12 months by US-based company LifeJourney.

According to the participating companies, the Day of STEM is a “career simulation experience” that lets students undertake self-guided interactive online experiences to test drive what a career would be like at Australia’s top organisations. The “journeys” will introduce students to real world projects and critical missions in an effort to inspire and motivate them to develop practical skills.

Throughout the “journeys”, the platform will measure each student’s interests and gauge their performance to track their progress.

Each participating company will offer mentors who will provide input on the journeys featured on the site. Westpac, for example, is providing mentors for six “journeys” in the program. In all, 15 leading companies will provide 24 mentors for the program, and another 20 mentors are in negotiations to join the program.

Explaining Westpac’s involvement in the Day of Stem program Dave Curran, Westpac’s CIO, said STEM expertise will drive the future of Australia, and ensure the nation remains competitive on the world stage.

“Most jobs of the future will require some combination of STEM skillset, so we have to encourage the students of today to see the enormous opportunities that a career in STEM can provide — and in doing so, build a generation empowered by STEM skills,” Curran said.

Global IT giant Cisco is also participating in the program, by offering a mentor who will show students how the cloud is built, and another “journey” focused on the Internet of Things, providing students with an in-depth look into the processes and technologies that enable the control of household devices from mobile devices.

Ken Boal, Vice President of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, says the company is excited to be part of the Day of STEM program.

“We believe it is important for the youth of today to see just how varied, exciting and valuable their career options are if they pursue STEM subjects in school and university,” said Boal.

Telstra will provide two “journeys”. The first will follow the experience of a mobile app developer. The second will look at the role of a mobile network architect.

Lockheed Martin and BAE will focus on different types of technology fields from project management through to design, while Deloitte is doing two journeys on risk analysis. SAS, another participant, will provide journeys with a focus on data science.

According to David Bowie, Managing Director of SAS Australia and New Zealand, STEM skills are becoming increasingly important for global competitiveness, but Australia is underperforming in this area.

This view is backed up by a March 2015 report from the Australian Industry Group which found participation by Australian students at primary, secondary and university levels in STEM subjects was falling.