There has been a 42% slump in university geology graduates in the decade to 2022 and a 69% drop in materials science undergraduate enrolments in the decade to 2023 – some of the many science skills gaps identified in a major new report from the Academy of Science.
The Australian Science, Australia’s Future: Science 2035 report indicated that the nation fell short in agricultural science, AI, biotechnology, climate science, data science, epidemiology, geoscience, and materials science.
The doyen of Australian science, former Chief Scientist, Vice-Chancellor and advisor to many Governments Professor Ian Chubb worked with the Academy’s policy lead Dr Hayley Teasdale to analyse data and insights proffered from across the membership to identify eight critical capacity gaps which are forecast to affect the Australian economy by 2035.
“Without science capability, Australia will not effectively control its own destiny in a rapidly changing world,” the report said.
The extensive, data-backed survey is a sign of the extent of the Academy’s concern about the future of science, pulling together a report of unprecedented depth.
“For the first time, we have a map of what needs to be done, backed by evidence, and no excuse to do nothing because now we know,” Professor Chubb said.
“Since 1945, three-quarters of all global economic growth has been driven by technological advance, and since 1990, 90% of that advance has been rooted in fundamental science,” Professor Chubb said.
“And yet, after decades of declining investment, Australia is facing a collapsing pipeline of STEM skills in the community and workforce essential for the nation’s future.”
The report shows that school maths performance has declined over the past two decades, with only 25.2% of Year 12 students studying maths at at least an intermediate level in 2023 – a drop by more than 9% when compared with 2008.
HDR students comprise more than half (57%) of the research workforce, but domestic HDR enrolments are in decline and Federal R&D investment is atomised across 151 programs and 13 portfolios.
Australia needs to take steps to resolve capability gaps and build a talent pipeline over the next decade, or else face challenges to its sovereign capability to innovate, Professor Chubb said.
He called for a change to the funding model for universities, with a greater focus on diverting funding towards resolving critical skills gaps, but said that big changes were also required in primary and secondary schools, to reverse the decline in popularity of science and maths.
“The academy needs to start a discussion to cover virtually everything because the piecemeal approach hasn’t worked. How prepared are we to challenge ourselves to change?” Professor Chubb said.
““We offer degrees and qualifications, once you have had one, (how long is it relevant)? How do we as a nation invest in people rather than say you have to change your skills, so it will cost $40k. We don’t have the conversation right.”
The Academy recognised that there were many conversations ahead required to achieve change, pledging that the report would be the foundation for a long-running campaign advocating for action to turn results around before 2035.