Cisco to invest $31m in Australian STEM education plan
Tech conglomerate Cisco is to introduce an investment programme to build science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in Australia. This comes as a report by PwC claimed that a lack of innovation in these fields could see Australia drop out of the G20 by 2050. The bulk of funding for Cisco's five-year, $31m scheme will go toward training 100,000 tertiary and school students in STEM subjects. The programme will also see topics like cybersecurity, cloud computing and the internet of things introduced in Australian secondary schools and universities. 

 

Computer networking giant Cisco will launch a five year Australian investment program valued at up to $31 million in a bid to increase the pool of talent available with skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (STEM).

The main pillar of the investment, which will be officially announced on Tuesday, is a $21 million Australian training program for 100,000 tertiary and school students in STEM related areas.

Pitched as a solution to the lag in science and technology innovation in Australia, Cisco's new five-year AUSTEM 2020 program, will accelerate its existing 16-year-old Networking Academy Program, by seeking to train young people at three times the current rate.

Ken Boal of Cisco says industry must do more to promote the study of science and technology. Justin McManus

The scheme will broaden curriculums used at 117 Australian universities, TAFEs and secondary schools, by introducing subjects such as cyber security, cloud and the so-called "internet of things".

"We are the middle of the road for funding and international collaboration, middle of the road for performance in schools, and on science, maths and literacy. And middle of the road just isn't going to cut it if we want to get ahead and maintain our standard of living," said Cisco Australia and New Zealand vice-president and Commonwealth Science Council member, Ken Boal.