Generation STEM, a ten-year initiative, aims to attract, support, educate and retain students in STEM fields in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Managed by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, the program is made possible by a $25 million endowment from the NSW Government's Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).
By working with Telstra, the STEM Community Partnerships Program aims to inspire and motivate students to participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and to encourage critical thinking, initiative and curiosity.
CSIRO's Director of Education and Outreach, Ruth Carr, said the partnership between Telstra and Generation STEM would expose students to a range of career opportunities both within Telstra and the broader STEM sector.
According to Mr Carr, the STEM Community Partnerships Program is an important education program that empowers students and demonstrates the relevance of STEM in everyday life. It aims to support the skills needed by local industry and connect industry with its future workforce.
Mr Carr also said the experiences offered by Telstra would help students find and pursue their passion for STEM. Year 9 and 10 students from Western Sydney and the Central Coast will take part in the program and visit Telstra's Sydney Customer Insight Centre. During the visits, industry experts will share their experiences and students will learn about the power and potential of Telstra's next generation networks.
The visits are designed to give students a taste of STEM outside the classroom and demonstrate how STEM-based skills can help solve real-world problems. Activities planned include live network demonstrations, learning about new technologies and hearing from Telstra experts about their career paths.
Kim Krogh-Andersen, Telstra's Group Executive of Product and Technology, said Telstra is passionate about creating a digitally literate workforce to meet the needs of the future. Krogh-Andersen added that the partnership with CSIRO aims to support the next generation with STEM skills, industry knowledge and hands-on experience to help them make informed decisions about their future STEM careers.
According to Krogh-Andersen, CSIRO's STEM Community Partnerships program is a great way to connect industry with high schools to support the Australian economy by providing local talent for the STEM jobs of the future. We are proud to support and work with CSIRO to unlock the benefits of digital technology that will have a real impact on the Australian economy.