Future You Future You
What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
But isn’t STEM for scientists in white lab coats?
Who told you that? STEM is for everyone. Almost every single job involves STEM skills and we need creative people to help us solve the challenges of the future.
What do I need to do?
First, check out the Pathfinder films. We’ve got fun activities you can do after watching them to learn more about each career and to see if it’s something you might be interested in. You might discover a passion for something new, which could send your career into outer space (seriously! You could become an astronaut, or a deep-sea explorer, or you could help design something that makes life for farmers easier!).
Who can work in STEM?
Anyone! There are so many exciting jobs in STEM and we need lots of people to work in them.
What kind of jobs can I do in STEM?
We’re glad you asked. We’ve asked some really cool people to make some short films telling us about what they do. You can become a fixer like Louise, a storyteller like Mikaela , a protector like Phoebe or an explorer like Renee. And that’s just the beginning. We are so excited to take you on a journey to discover all the incredible careers (and people) working in STEM.
Where can I found out more?
Jump on our website and have a look around. We have heaps of fun and exciting things for you to explore. We’ll see you in the future!
Who are we?
Future You is an initiative from the Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador. The Office promotes awareness of STEM careers to young people, parents and carers, and works with educators to challenge gender stereotypes and promote inclusive and engaging STEM education for all.
Why does the Future You initiative exist?
Research has found that gender stereotypes, biases and poor understanding of how STEM subjects relate to exciting and rewarding STEM careers are barriers to girls’ participatin in STEM. Future You aims to address these issues to improve future education and opportunities for underrepresented people in STEM and to strengthen the STEM pipeline so Australia’s future workforce can meet the challenges of the future.
What is Pathfinders?
Pathfinders is a national program has been designed to show children the breadth and scope of STEM careers, and the diversity of people who can work in those careers.
Who is in series one?
Series one of Pathfinders features four incredible women who have found rewarding careers in different STEM sectors – aerospace, mechanical engineering, conservation, and augmented reality.
How have you developed your resources?
Our team have worked with industry experts, leaders in education, renowned organisations, the Department of Education, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to create an evidence-based, curriculum-aligned program that addresses the barriers to full participation in STEM.
Who is Future You for?
Everybody. Future You has been designed to encourage all students to explore STEM careers.
Why do we need full participation in STEM?
Australia and the world are facing unprecedented skills shortages in critical areas required to address the economic, environmental, and technological challenges ahead. Future careers across all sectors will rely heavily on 21st-century science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem- solving. Demand for these skills is high, but the lack of diversity in STEM means we have a workforce that is limited in size and missing a broad range of perspectives.
Imagining the Future – Launching in November
Imagining the Future will showcase the exciting world of STEM through short stories written by some of Australia’s most acclaimed authors of fiction for Young Adults. The stories feature relatable protagonists who work with STEM-related knowledge to tackle the challenges faced by a society of the near future.
What else are you working on?
We are working on some really exciting future initiatives that will incorporate literacy, imagination and art to ensure as many students as possible connect with this program.
Who is funding this initiative?
Future You is funded through a $1.5 million Women in STEM National Awareness Raising Initiative, as part of the Australian Government’s Advancing Women in STEM strategy.
If you would like to collaborate or partner with us in any Future You activities, please contact us.
What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
But isn’t STEM for scientists in white lab coats?
Who told you that? STEM is for everyone. Almost every single job involves STEM skills and we need creative people to help us solve the challenges of the future.
What do we do?
We work with stakeholders across government, education and training, research and industry sectors to drive cultural and systemic change to institutions and workplaces that remove structural barriers and enable the full participation of women and girls in STEM education and careers.
Why don’t girls pursue STEM-related subjects or careers?
School-aged girls experience reduced confidence in STEM subjects, and uptake of STEM subjects by girls is low. This reduced participation in STEM directly impacts future education and career opportunities for girls. Research finds this is in part related to gender stereotypes, biases and poor understanding of how STEM subjects relate to exciting and rewarding STEM careers.
Who are you trying to reach?
Our primary audience is Australian students aged 8-12 years old to tackle stereotypes early and encourage ongoing participating in STEM from students of all genders.
Our secondary audience is you! Parents and carers of children aged 8 – 12 years old.
How can I get involved?
Parents and carers play an important role in reinforcing or challenging stereotypes about career and study choices. We aim to help families support children’s confidence to choose STEM subjects and pursue STEM careers they might aspire to. We have created some resources specifically to help parents support their children to explore STEM possibilities.
Is it just films?
No! Each film is accompanied by vibrant posters for classroom walls, a suite of evidence- based, curriculum-aligned teaching resources, engaging activities and career advice packs to help teachers, schools and families to engage with children in discussion and exploration of STEM and possible career pathways. There are also competitions and creative challenges where schools and individual children can win resources and virtual visits from STEM role models and experts.
Will there be future Pathfinders?
Production on Season Two of Pathfinders is already underway, with confirmed participants including Australia’s leading authority on edible bugs, a submarine engineer and an IT architect at Google.
Imagining the Future – Launching in November
Imagining the Future will showcase the exciting world of STEM through short stories written by some of Australia’s most acclaimed authors of fiction for Young Adults. The stories feature relatable protagonists who work with STEM-related knowledge to tackle the challenges faced by a society of the near future.
Who is funding this initiative?
Future You is funded through a $1.5 million Women in STEM National Awareness Raising Initiative, as part of the Australian Government’s Advancing Women in STEM strategy.
Who can work in STEM?
Anyone! There are so many exciting jobs in STEM and we need lots of people to work in them.
Who are we?
Future You is an initiative from the Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador to address gender equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Why does the Future You initiative exist?
STEM-skilled jobs in Australia are growing at a fast pace and as many industries become increasingly reliant on technology, the need for STEM skills is becoming more widespread. Women are underrepresented in STEM education and careers, and face barriers at every stage of the ‘pipeline’, from school through to senior leadership positions. Girls and women’s underrepresentation in STEM must be addressed to ensure that Australia’s STEM- skilled workforce can meet the research, technology and innovation challenges of the future.
Why do we need full participation in STEM?
Australia and the world are facing unprecedented skills shortages in critical areas required to address the economic, environmental, and technological challenges ahead. Future careers across all sectors will rely heavily on 21st-century science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem- solving. Demand for these skills is high, but the lack of diversity in STEM means we have a workforce that is limited in size and missing a broad range of perspectives.
How will Future You tackle stereotypes?
Future You will provide relatable role models for all children to see a future for themselves in STEM.
What is Pathfinders?
Pathfinders is a Future You program that has been designed to show children the breadth and scope of STEM careers, and the diversity of people who can work in those careers. The hero of the program is the films. The first series includes four films about the careers of four remarkable women who we have called, the Pathfinders.
Who is in series one?
Series one of Pathfinders features four incredible women who have found rewarding careers in different STEM sectors – aerospace, mechanical engineering, conservation, and augmented reality.
What else are you working on?
We are working on some really exciting future initiatives that will incorporate literacy, imagination and art to ensure as many students as possible connect with this program.
How have you developed your resources?
Our team have worked with industry experts, leaders in education, renowned organisations, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to create an evidence-based, curriculum-aligned program that addresses the barriers to full participation in STEM.
