Encouraging Early Career Aspirations in STEM: Sunshine Coast, Regional Partnership Agreement Report 2024

The Encouraging Early Career Aspirations in STEM: Sunshine Coast project is a collaboration between the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and the Sunshine Coast Council (SCC), which aims to address the growing demand for STEM skills in the region’s evolving economy. The project focuses on primary school students, recognising that career aspirations often begin to form by Year 5. Early exposure to STEM has shown to positively influence students' values, confidence, and awareness of future career opportunities, helping reduce perceived barriers to higher education in this field. The project, which is part of UniSC's MindSET-do initiative, provided hands-on STEM experiences to Year 4 and Year 5 students in seven local schools. It also included professional development (PD) workshops for teachers and STEM-related workshops for parents and carers. The findings indicate that early exposure to STEM significantly enhances students’ confidence and interest, particularly among girls. Female students showed notable improvements in their confidence with coding and technology-related tasks, a critical factor for long-term engagement in STEM. Boys, while also benefiting from the program, demonstrated greater intrinsic enjoyment in hands-on activities like drone programming. Despite these gains, the report highlights the need for increased teacher involvement in career discussions, as students primarily rely on parents for these conversations. Furthermore, many students were unsure of how to pursue STEM careers locally, suggesting the need for clearer guidance on STEM pathways in the Sunshine Coast region. The project concludes with several recommendations for sustaining and expanding STEM education efforts in the region. This initiative aligns with global efforts, such as UNESCO's Education 2030 Agenda, to increase participation and equity in STEM, ensuring that the Sunshine Coast's emerging economy is supported by a future-ready labor force.