New research shows that more than 80 per cent of Gen Z believe that understanding technology and STEM are key to enacting change but 75 per cent don’t feel confident in their STEM skills to do so.
The findings uncover a surprising truth: young Australians, often seen as a vocal generation, feel significantly disempowered in their ability to create meaningful change.
Almost half (49 per cent) say the biggest hurdle is the lack of resources, support network, and monetary support to enable them to do so. These findings indicate that a greater focus on upskilling young Australians in STEM-related skills is urgently needed to bridge the gap between good intentions to create positive change and equipping them with the right skills and resources to actually do it.
Samsung Electronics Australia in partnership with Student Edge has released the insights from its Gen Z survey, Voices of Tomorrow: overcoming roadblocks to youth action today earlier this month to coincide with its Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition for young Australian innovators.
Student Edge is Australia’s largest member-based organisation for students and young people – helping over 1.3 million young people across three core pillars – LEARN, EARN & SAVE. Their mission is to improve the lives of students at every stage.
The search for sustainable solutions
The Voice of Tomorrow survey was commissioned to uncover the innovative and inventive ways Australians aged 14-24 years take action on important issues, while also revealing what they believe are the common roadblocks standing in their way when it comes to their ability to turn ideas into actions to create positive societal change.
“There’s definitely a drive in this generation to enact change but there’s a disconnect between the tools, skills and resources they need to be able to speak out on and action the issues that matter to them most,” says Dr Kirsten Banks, Astrophysicist, STEM advocate and Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2024 spokesperson.
“The opportunity is well and truly there for our innovative young thinkers to create meaningful change with STEM when given the opportunities and support. This is why I’m thrilled to be involved in this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program, supporting young innovators to use STEM to turn their ideas and dreams into creating real, positive change in their communities”
Young Australians are not just seeing STEM as a way to bring about change. They also see it as a viable career path, with over four in five (83 per cent) agreeing that STEM skills are essential not only to enact positive change, but also for future careers. Additionally, three-quarters (75 per cent) agreed that STEM presents exciting opportunities and career pathways for them in the future.
But with the number of STEM jobs growing twice as fast as non-STEM related roles, there has never been a more pertinent time for equipping young Australians to upskill in STEM.
“Solve for Tomorrow is a great starting point for any young innovator wanting to get involved in STEM and understand how it can empower their community and future career opportunities at the same time,” says Brett Turnbull, Director of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Electronics Australia.
“As a global technology leader, Samsung understands the vital importance of STEM education in shaping the innovators of tomorrow. We are dedicated to empowering Australia’s next generation of problem solvers by nurturing their skills and offering opportunities for students to engage with both inside and beyond the classroom. Through initiatives like Solve for Tomorrow, we aim to inspire young minds and equip them with the tools they need to make a real difference in the world.”
Participating in Solve for Tomorrow is free for Australians aged 14 to 24 and is designed to empower the next generation of innovators by solving a problem facing their community under one of three categories, Sustainability, Education and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The major winner will take home $10,000 cash as well as a suite of Samsung products to help make it a reality.
Educators also stand to win, as entries that nominate their high school will be considered for the School Prize, a Flip Pro Interactive Display to help promote collaboration and engagement in the classroom. Recognising Gen Z’s passion for using social media for good, one participant will also receive a Samsung Productivity Pack as the Social Amplify Prize for best raising awareness for their cause on social media. To be considered, participants need to tag @SamsungAU and use the hashtag #SFT_AU_2024 across their social posts highlighting their cause.
Exploring a universe of career ambitions
Banks told EducationDaily that she first dreamed of reaching for the stars to pursue a career in astrophysics after seeing a documentary about the Hubble telescope.
“There’s a key moment in that documentary where there’s a virtual fly-through of the Orion nebula, where stars are being born out of these pockets and bubbles of gas,” she says.
“It was so incredibly cool. From there, I thought, I want to study astrophysics, I want to study the universe.”
Banks studies maths and physics at secondary school but also chose geography – a subject she encourages more students to consider.
“The survey shows young people feel disempowered, but I think making that clear connection between what young kids and Gen Z really care about these days will help spark passion in STEM education and the ways it can help make change,” she told EducationDaily.
“From the survey that we’ve done, cost-of-living, mental health, equity and discrimination are all key things that young people care about. Geography can actually help with a lot of those aspects. When I did it ten years ago, we learned about different areas of society and government impact. There are so many subjects that help make connections to what young people care about and that will make a difference and give things global context.”
Her own study pathway saw her leave secondary school to undertake a Bachelor of Science at university, followed by a PhD in astrophysics as well.
Funding, support and visibility
She says the Solve for Tomorrow competition helps encourage more young people into STEM because it focuses on how to create innovative solutions.
“Plus, the winner gets access to funding – a $10,000 prize to make their solution come to life – and, frankly, I’m a little jealous,” Banks says.
“I wish I had these resources available to me when I was at high school.”
She puts her own success down to being “too stubborn to care” about the potential biases that young women in the sector were up against.
“I did not see young women, let alone anyone who was Indigenous talking about space and astronomy,” she says. “But I did it anyway.”
Banks acknowledges that seeing visible diversity makes a huge difference – and points back to the competition she is proudly promoting as a way to champion that diversity and inclusion – something she says is especially important in the world of STEM.
“I highly encourage any young person in Australia to get involved in Solve for Tomorrow. Building skills in critical thinking, creativity and communication can truly make meaningful change in the future and I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” Banks says.
