Google Australia leads charge in improving STEM studies
It appears Google is beginning to invest in Australia’s children.
As our sister site Business Review Australia recently wrote, the tech giant’s philanthropic organisation (Google.org) announced its pledge to donate $1 million toward the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational industry in Australia.
In a move is expected to develop career programs and hands-on training for girls, indigenous Australians and underprivileged students, the funds will be split between FIRST Robotics, Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and Engineers Without Borders Australia.
The three non-profit organizations have started programs that intend to improve the lives of 10,000 Aussie children from lower-class backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM.
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When compared to several other countries with similar economies, Australia ranks well behind in science and innovation in a report by the Office of the Chief Scientist.
For years these educational fields have been looked upon as significant to the nation’s future, and increased training would be a great boost.
“There is a universal agreement that no one knows what the jobs of tomorrow are going to be, but what there is consensus on is that the jobs of tomorrow will disproportionately have some STEM factor associated with them,” said Google Australia managing director Maile Carnegie.
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Google, which employs over 600 engineers in Australia, says the donation is intended to expand the existing program’s geographic reach while connecting young Aussie engineers to youth, school and community groups throughout regional Australia.
The majority of the funds will go toward assisting the organization to reach 6,500 children, 1,400 parents and 500 teachers in 38 different locations across Australia.
In the United States, the Nesbitt Discovery Academy in Asheville, N.C., has interest among potential students increasing at a rapid pace. This year had about twice as many applicants compared to 2014, as the number of students increased from about 140 to around 270.
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The healthcare industry has suffered in recent years from a shortage of talent in math and science fields. In fact, the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau report found that 75 percent of STEM graduates do not work in STEM industries.
It appears more and more countries around the world are putting an emphasis in raising awareness of the STEM industry.
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