Building Australia's future STEM workforce

The Albanese Government is building a future made in Australia by helping students pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with critical funding for educational pathways that can lead to a career in Australia’s defence industry.

Ten new grants through the Schools Pathways Program will go to organisations, enabling them to collaborate with schools and educational institutions to deliver innovative programs across the STEM domains.

A highly educated, well trained industrial workforce with cutting-edge skills, spanning a wide range of specialisations, is also critical to the successful delivery of the capabilities needed by the Australian Defence Force to keep Australians safe.

By delivering these skills through the Schools Pathways Program, the Albanese Government is helping ensure Australia has the workforce it needs to meet our current and future strategic and national security priorities through partnerships across government, universities and industry.

Today’s announcement sees more than $11 million in grants awarded across the country, including:

• $1.9 million to With You With ME to support the Defence Industry Pathways Program that will engage with millions of students, parents, teachers and community members across the country, including providing 3,300 students access to information sessions, skill-mapping and mentoring in relation to defence industry careers.
• $1.7 million to Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth Ltd for the AVISTA program that will reach 200 schools, and engage students, teachers, and parents across Australia through hands-on STEM activities, virtual reality experiences, and defence career summits.
• $397,493 to MEGT Australia to support school-based traineeships and apprenticeships in the naval shipbuilding and broader defence industry in Adelaide and Perth.
• $1.6 million to Fleet Space Technologies Pty Ltd, based in South Australia, for the LaunchBox program that provides teacher-led classroom lessons and works with students to build and launch an educational satellite.
• $536,243 to Technology for Education Solutions for its Beacon Pathways program which sees South Australian students solve real world problems using immersive virtual reality (VR), 3D modelling and coding.

Further details of all awarded grants can be found on the GrantConnect website (https://www.grants.gov.au/).

The awarding of these grants delivers on the Government’s commitment under the 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“The Albanese Government recognises the essential contributions that Australian businesses and educational institutions make to training and developing the talent pipeline we needed by our defence industry.

“The Schools Pathways Program and our partnerships with the industry and education sector are key to ensuring our students are equipped with the skills needed for the advanced and high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

“With these grants the Albanese Government is supporting the defence industry by strengthening our nation’s future STEM capable workforce and continuing our investment in a future made in Australia.”