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...

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...

For many years, lean production has been successfully applied in large companies producing high volumes of standardized products. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of lean principles with the primary goal of converging towards a new set of principles that are more clearly aligned for the deployment of lean in engineer-to-order...

Building on research commissioned by Australia’s Chief Scientist to identify STEM skills shortages, this report critically examines existing solutions to the STEM skills shortage in comparable countries.