Your Guide to STEM: The Careers of the Future

Science. Technology. Engineering. Maths.

These are the industries of the future, the areas that will be responsible for furthering our future efforts in innovation, creativity, and design.

From the need to become more sustainable in energy consumption, developing ground-breaking technologies in industries like medicine, and expanding our knowledge of the Universe; STEM subjects are at the forefront of the developments that will change our lives for years to come.

Despite what some might think, STEM subjects aren’t just for the Einstein’s of the world. These areas are accessible for everyone and with a serious shortage of those skilled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths; these industries need you.

STEM education is starting to become more integrated into schools all over the planet, to prepare more students to take on the world of opportunities that will present themselves in the future for STEM.

So, what does that mean for you?

No matter what stage you’re at in the workforce lifecycle, a career in STEM is always possible. Entry-level jobs are readily available, with 68% of the STEM workforce having a Diploma or less qualification, meaning you don’t need to have a PhD to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or maths as some may think.

STEM isn’t restricted to only a few areas. There’s plenty of career paths that you can follow which are in need of talented, motivated professionals. Industries like maths aren’t very well known, but a qualification in this area can open a variety of careers in meteorology, surveying and research fields.

STEM subjects dominate innovations, research, and life-altering breakthroughs across the globe and as we become more technology-dependant, these industries are going to continue to thrive and expand well into the future.

STEM isn’t necessarily individual areas, but together they continue to work together to address problems like climate change, medicine, famine, and disease. Everyone working in STEM can have the potential to change the world, even just a little bit.

The Government is heavily promoting careers in STEM, spending over $100 million to promote and encourage individuals to explore these promising career paths. There are dozens of positions listed in the government’s National Skills Shortage List that need more employees to accommodate for demand.

If you can’t see yourself behind a desk all day and want a hands-on career that actually makes a difference, STEM is for you. Not only can you learn practical experience through courses in these areas, but you can be free to imagine, create and explore concepts all day. With plenty of promotion opportunities, the ability to be a part of designs, innovations and research and a much higher pay bracket; STEM is an area that’s wrongfully passed over when it comes to the job search.

It also has a very low unemployment rate, with the majority of STEM professionals being able to easily find a job once they’re qualified. Another advantage is, it’s not that difficult to qualify if you’re thinking of changing careers. With such a high percentage of VET qualified STEM professionals, you can be well on your way to a new and very promising career in as little as a year!

The highest paying jobs in Australia are dominated by two areas: medicine and STEM. With a high percentage of STEM qualified professionals usually sitting in the top income bracket of $140,000 per year; these lucrative careers can certainly be rewarding. The more in-demand areas of IT and engineering become, the more the average income is expected to rise well into the future.

STEM Career IT

Business Analysts and Programmers, for instance, had an average salary of $100,000 in 2015, but as Australia becomes more involved with the science and technology community globally, this average salary is expected to grow to $150,000 by 2035. In just over 25 years, the salary for just this one STEM career alone will increase by 150%

Geoff Quattromani, the Senior Business Analyst for Johnson & Johnson–one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world–recently discussed with training.com.au the importance of IT specialists, especially in the future. Not only are they in demand, but it’s also a highly rewarding area. According to Geoff, ‘Every day we discover new ways of doing things, new ways of delivering solutions and new ways of helping businesses remain competitive.

I truly don’t think there is a more exciting department in an organisation than the IT department’. The opportunities to learn and discover are endless in IT, with the industry ‘extremely dynamic and always exciting. Technology trends shape the direction of the business and can give businesses a leading edge when delivered well. It is never boring.’

With technology and automation threatening almost every industry, the need to be skilled in IT is more than essential for future employment. Areas that often require high levels of manual tasks are at risk of being replaced by machines, especially in retail, finance, and administration. It’s expected that five million working Australians will be affected by automation in the next ten years, so the chances are, the job you’re looking at starting or already working in, has already started to shift towards embracing technology.

The upside? The technologies and systems that are bound to replace human-powered labour need someone to create them! In the next 2-3 years alone, over half of the existing workforce will need to be digitally literate, meaning they can understand, monitor and even configure IT operations, systems, and processes in a workplace. This could be as simple as updating an IT system, organising data, or even retrieving information from the cloud.

In the future, Australia and its relationship with other countries will change dramatically. In order to keep up with demand and compete with the Government’s future goals, areas like engineering and technology will be two of the most in-demand employment sectors. Over 100,000 technology-related professionals will be needed in the next five years alone, meaning there’s going to be a surplus of jobs well into the future. STEM also produces a huge amount of innovations every year that greatly benefit Australia’s economy. The advanced physics and mathematical science industries, for instance, produce 22% of the nation’s economic activity.

Australia is also expected to spend over $100 billion in infrastructure in the next five years, with all projects requiring skilled civil engineers and surveyors. Whether you choose to study science, technology, engineering, or maths; these really are the areas of the future, and all promise very lucrative careers. If these careers can attract more people that will align with the Government’s targeted STEM projections, these careers will also start to experience some serious salary increases. Areas like IT and Science are expected to have an increase of over $50,000 over the next fifteen years.

The Government is in need of STEM professionals and is willing to offer plenty of incentives to encourage people to choose these areas of study. For example, Maths and Science graduates from University can apply for a HECS-HELP Benefit, reducing the student loan amount usually required to pay back to the government. This incentive is for graduates in natural and physical science subjects but if you’re looking to go into other areas, STEM has one of the highest numbers of scholarships in the country.

Women is STEM is also a priority of the Government’s, with the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship grant (WISE) driving the focus in promoting science, technology, engineering and maths. With the amount of talent and potential that females can bring to these innovative and creative industries; women have the opportunity to change the entire direction of the country’s future progression. Because of this, the Government have invested $8 million to encourage workplaces to embrace women in these industries and further career pathways. $1.1 billion has been invested into expanding the industries across the board and to all.

The population is ageing, and with that comes new challenges in health and medical research to accommodate for aged care. By 2050, almost 25% of the population will be over 65 years old, more than double what it is today with 1.8 million of those over 85 years. This represents a huge task of developing ways of supporting and assisting this population. The need for more professionals in areas of science and technology, to support medical research and health promotion is essential for the future of Australia. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on the health system, with clinics, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, and health insurance all affected.

To respond to these trends, the need for health workers with skills in science and technology is crucial, as well as engineers to keep up with the demand for more infrastructure, innovations, and developments to support the ageing population. Natural and physical science professionals are needed more than ever, with 28% employed in the health care and social assistance sector. The Government’s objectives for STEM careers mean that these science professionals need to have job growth of 8% in the next five years alone, so there are boundless career opportunities and job openings available now, and into the future.

Leslie Chong, the CEO of the biotech company, Imugene, is on a mission to advance science and even develop a vaccine for cancer. Through her roles in medical science over 19 years, Leslie has a keen insight into the importance of STEM in medicine and health fields. According to Leslie, to succeed in this exciting and challenging industry, you need ‘curiosity, creativity, flexibility, and inspiration. A high level of aptitude and even a better attitude. It took a spark of genius and creativity to think we could look beyond our eyesight, to look into the microscope, or go beyond what we can see. ‘

Two of the biggest influences on future employment will be automation and globalisation. as more industries start to embrace technology to replace manual labour tasks, more jobs than ever are set to be threatened. In Australia alone, almost 3 million future jobs may be wiped completely, so it’s more important than ever to have the skills that are needed for the future, not for today’s job market. In total, 40% of the workforce have a moderate to high chance of losing their jobs in the next 10 years, with statistics showing that 4 out of 10 unskilled workers who lose their job, never find another of equal or higher pay again.

Although technology is becoming more common in most workplaces, not every industry is under threat. As it stands, there’s still plenty of jobs that can only be performed by humans, which can’t be replicated by machines and technology. STEM careers as well as health professions are some of the safest industries from automation, but more manual-labour and administration-focused industries are in serious trouble. Careers in areas of admin, finance, insurance, and accounting, as well as retail trade, are some of the most affected, with hundreds of thousands of jobs set to be replaced by technology.

• Administration Workers – 284,000 jobs affected
• Accountants and Bookkeepers – 263,000 jobs affected
• Finance and Insurance Specialists – 128,000 jobs affected
• Retail Workers – 123,000 jobs affected

Administration, accounting, finance, and retail will see some of the highest levels of job loss in the country, but there are many smaller industries that are under threat.

Not only is the number of job openings in STEM areas growing, but STEM qualified professionals are typically seen as more valuable to employers; even in areas where STEM capabilities aren’t a necessity. In a recent study of the employability of STEM graduates compared to non-STEM qualified graduates, 31% of employers highlighted that they had difficulty finding talented STEM employees because there are often more jobs available than qualified professionals to fill them.

STEM qualified workers can also see a greater income bracket, with STEM careers having some of the highest percentages of top bracket income earners in Australia, earning over $140,000. Despite this, there’s still a serious issue with inequality in this area, with males in the top income bracket over doubling those of females. The shift towards encouraging more females into these career paths is essential for making STEM a more rewarding and accessible option in the future.

A similar survey has also found that those with a STEM qualification, in IT, science, engineering, or maths are more talented and innovative workers. 71% of employers in the survey stated that those employees with a qualification in these areas contribute the most in ideas, developments, and talent and this is a similar mindset that’s starting to be seen in employers across virtually every industry.

What STEM Careers are in Need of You?

The world is changing, and as it changes, we need to as well. Australia is in serious trouble of falling behind the level of innovation, technology, and STEM requirements needed to remain competitive on a global scale. In order to reach these needs, the Government is placing a lot of focus on trying to boost employment in crucial careers that can help our country thrive well into the future.

Based on the Australian Government’s future projections; these are the STEM careers that will need to see the most growth:

No matter what your level of commitment or what you’re looking to pursue in your career, STEM is much more accessible than most people think. With awesome career opportunities, great salary and a need for talented professionals, these are the careers of the future.