The generality of the umbrella term 'STEM' as a synonym for a diverse group of skills and academic fields poses various problems in terms of workforce planning and targeted interventions. This summary brings together findings from NCVER research investigating educational and occupational concepts and their associated definitions raised in the literature review. As there is...

The concept of ‘STEM’ (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has influenced many education and workforce strategies and policies. Generally, the focus has been on how the school and university sectors can help equip the workforce with the STEM-related skills and knowledge considered necessary for the changing economy. This paper explores ways to measure how the...

Mapping Australian higher education 2016 shows that in 2015, only half of bachelor degree science graduates seeking full-time work had found it four months after completing their degrees, 17 percentage points below the average for all graduates.

Children think mathematically long before they start school. Before children start learning mathematics at school, they show informal understanding of many numeracy concepts. This is informal numeracy knowledge, that is, skills that children develop before starting school that do not depend on written mathematical notation (Purpura & Napoli, 2015). This review synthesises current research from...

A new report by the Office of the Chief Scientist provides the first detailed analysis of Australia’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) trained workforce. By investigating the demographics, industries, occupations and salaries of STEM workers, the report is a valuable resource for students, teachers and policymakers. Based on data from the 2011 Census of...