FUTURE CONFERENCE STEM (or STEAM) What the problem is Why it - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WELCOME TO

RDA HUNTER’S LEVERAGING A STEM WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE CONFERENCE

STEM (or STEAM)

• What the problem is
• Why it happened
• How we might address it

The STEM ‘crisis’ is really a bundle

• f issues:
• Slippping performance by 15 year olds on

PISA

• Relatively low numbers of graduates in ‘hard’

science disciplines

• < 20% of all engineering graduates being

female

• Australia’s poor productivity growth since

early 2000s. Are we heading for economic problems?

PISA 2012 results for Australia

• Performance on 15 year olds on OECD

PISA (mathematical, scientific & reading literacy)

• Overall performance good
• In Maths, Australia outperformed by 16

countries & for Science we were

• utperformed by 7 countries
• In Maths Australia declined significantly

since early 2000s; held in Science.

Productivity growth in Australia

• a grim story in recent years

75.00 80.00 85.00 90.00 95.00 100.00 105.00 Index Year

Multifactor Productivity

Source: ABS 5260.0.55.002 Experimental Estimates of Industry Multifactor Productivity, Australia: Detailed Productivity, 2013

Innovation is generally seen as necessary to productivity growth

Innovation is … 1) ‘Creative destruction’ – Schumpeter 2) ‘Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), process, new marketing method or a new

• rganisational method in business practices,

workplace organisation or external relations.’ 1

• 1. Source: OECD (2005) Oslo Manual: Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data, 3rd edition, OECD and European

Commission.

Country 2015/16 2014/15 2013/14 2012/13

Switzerland 1 1 1 1 Singapore 2 2 2 2 USA 3 3 5 7 Germany 4 5 4 6 Netherlands 5 8 8 5 Japan 6 Hong Kong (China) 7 7 7 9 Finland 8 4 3 3 Sweden 9 10 6 4 UK 10 9 10 8 Canada 13 15 14 14 Australia 21 22 21 20 China 28 28 29 29

Country 2015 2014 2013

Switzerland 1 1 1 UK 2 2 3 Sweden 3 3 2 Netherlands 4 5 4 USA 5 6 5 Finland 6 4 6 Singapore 7 7 8 Ireland 8 11 10 Luxembourg 9 9 12 Denmark 10 8 9 Canada 16 12 11 Australia 17 17 19 China 29 29 35

Global Competitiveness Index (GCI – 140 countries) Global Innovation Index (GII – 141 economies)

Comparing Australia with other OECD countries (GII index)

Notes:

• 1. Coloured cells correspond to quintiles

from index Top 10 11 – 20 21 – 30 31 – 40 41 – 143

• 2. ● indicates a relative strength; ○ a relative weakness;

Country Metric A selection of the top 10 in GII Other OECD BRIC

Switzd UK Sweden Nthrlnds USA Finland Canada Australia China

GII 2015 (out of 141)

1 ● 2 ● 3 ● 4 ● 5 6 16 17 29 Innovation Input Sub-Index (ISI), has 5 pillars 2 ● 6 ● 7 11 5 3 ● 9 10 41 Innovation Output Sub-Index (OSI), has 2 pillars 1 ● 5 ● 4 ● 3 ● 9 10 22 24 21

Innovation Efficiency Ratio

Ratio of OSI/ISI 2 ● 18 16 8 33 41 70 ○ 72 ○ 6 ●

Comparing Australia with other OECD countries (GCI index)

† Note: China’s sub-indices are weighted differently due to development stage. Basic requirements (40%), efficiency enhancers (50%) & Innovation and sophistication factors (10%)

Note: Coloured cells correspond to quintiles from index Top 10 11 – 20 21 – 30 31 – 40 41 – 143 Country Metric A selection of the top 10 in GCI Other OECD BRIC

Switzd UK Sweden Nthrlnds USA Finland Canada Australia China†

GCI 2015–2016

(out of 140) 1 10 9 5 3 8 13 21 28 Basic requirements (20%) 2 25 13 7 30 11 16 15 28 Efficiency enhancers (50%) 4 5 12 9 1 13 6 14 32 Innovation and sophistication factors (30%) 1 9 7 6 4 5 24 26 34

Major problem areas

• Business sophistication
• Technological innovation
• Labour and goods market

efficiency

What to do?

• Worry less about innovation inputs
• Focus more on encouraging a

sophisticated & networked business system and keep focusing

• n technological breakthroughs &

their uptake

More specifically within STEM

Note the big ‘problem’ is … Maths

• Not enjoyed, not seen as

necessary

• And it’s not just numeracy, though

that’s important!

• It’s having a good ‘feel’ for symbolic

reasoning [vital for complex problem solving!]

Why?

• Advanced Maths not compulsory [No. 1

reason, cf. developing nations] Not helped by

• Once Maths is abandoned, choice is

limited

• Many teachers at all levels are

underqualified, undertrained & unconfident to teach Maths & Science

How?

• Rethink making Maths compulsory
• Ensure Maths teachers are well trained, confident

& encouraging.

• 2nd & 3rd chances to re-enter Maths stream

especially when starting Engineering degrees

• Link Maths learning to related skills e.g.

Languages

• Use lots of changes to showcase STEM through

extracurricular activities so kids can understand job

• ptions

STEM in the Hunter – some initiatives

• HUNTER REGIONAL SCIENCE HUB
• SCIENCE & ENGINEERING CHALLENGE
• STEM ACTION SCHOOLS - Maitland Grossmann

High School

• ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA