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DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Women tend to be under-represented in STEM education and training in most countries around the world, and Australia is no exception (Marginson, et al., 2013). Of the 2.7 million people with higher level STEM qualifications in 2010-11, men accounted for around four-fifths (81%). This is in stark contrast to non-STEM fields, where women make up the majority (60%) of those with qualifications at the Certificate III level or above. The gender breakdown varied markedly across the STEM fields. Men made up the overwhelming majority (92%) of those with higher level qualifications in Engineering and related technologies, and the large bulk with qualifications in Information technology (75%). Around two-thirds (66%) of those qualified in Agriculture, environmental and related studies were men, while there was a fairly even split among those qualified in Natural and physical sciences.

STEM QUALIFIED POPULATION, BY SEX AND FIELD, 2010-11

Source: ABS Survey of Learning and Work, 2010-11.

The age profile of the STEM qualified population in Australia was slightly older than those qualified in other fields. The median age of those with higher level STEM qualifications in 2010-11 was 44 years, compared with 41 years for those qualified in other areas. Just under half (48%) of the STEM qualified population were aged 45 years and over, compared with 43% of those qualified in other fields. Again, however, there was considerable variation across the STEM fields.

POPULATION WITH HIGHER LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS, BY AGE AND FIELD, 2010-11

(a) Includes people with qualifications in both STEM and non-STEM fields.
Source: ABS Survey of Learning and Work, 2010-11.

Those with higher level qualifications in Information technology were considerably younger than those in other STEM fields. The median age of people qualified in Information technology was 33 years and the vast majority (81%) were aged under 45 years. Those qualified in Engineering and related technologies were considerably older, with a median age of 47 years and less than half (44%) aged under 45 years.

Natural and Physical Sciences

Information Technology

Engineering and Related Technologies

Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies

Total STEM

Total non-STEM(a)

The distribution of the STEM qualified population across the states and territories closely reflects that of the general population. In 2010-11, around a third (34%) of those with higher level STEM qualification were living in New South Wales, and a quarter (24%) in Victoria.

% of STEM qualified population

% of total population (a)

Around two-thirds (65%) of those with higher level STEM qualifications were born in Australia. People with STEM qualifications were more likely to be born overseas than those with qualifications in other fields (35% compared with 30%). The proportion born overseas varied across the STEM fields, from 14% of those qualified in the field of Agriculture, environmental and related studies, to half (49%) of those qualified in Information technology.

Natural and Physical Sciences

Information Technology

Engineering and Related Technologies

Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies

Total STEM

Total non-STEM(a)

Of those with higher level STEM qualifications born outside Australia, around one in four (25%) were born in the United Kingdom, 10% in India and 7% in each of China and New Zealand. As with many other characteristics, the national heritage of the STEM qualified population differed across the STEM fields. Among those with qualifications in Information technology, for example, 22% of people born outside Australia had been born in India, compared with 14% born in the United Kingdom. While Australia’s STEM qualified population is drawn from a diverse range of countries, the vast majority (90%) were Australian citizens, including 71% of those born overseas.

This diverse heritage is also reflected in the languages spoken. Almost one in five (19%) of Australia’s STEM qualified population spoke a language other than English at home. This was much more common among those qualified in Information technology (32%) and Natural and physical sciences (29%), than Engineering and related technologies (16%). Almost all (94%) of those who spoke a language other than English at home indicated that they spoke English well or very well, and half (50%) reported that English was the main language spoken at home.

WHERE STEM QUALIFICATIONS WERE ATTAINED

Of the total STEM qualified population in Australia in 2010-11, around one in five (21%) had completed at least one higher level STEM qualification overseas.

Of those whose highest qualification was in STEM, 80% attained their highest STEM qualification in Australia, and the remaining 20% overseas. The proportion attained in Australia varied according to the field of study – from 92% of those whose highest qualification was in Agriculture, environmental and related studies, to 68% for Natural and physical sciences. The proportion also differed by the level of qualification with vocational level (84%) qualifications more likely than those at the university level (71%) to be attained in Australia.

Around 723,000 (27%) of those with higher level STEM qualifications were born overseas and came to Australia aged 15 years or over. Of this group, around three quarters (74%) completed at least one of their STEM qualifications overseas and 33% completed at least one of their STEM qualifications in Australia, including 7% who had completed STEM qualifications both in Australia and overseas. Of the 2 million people with STEM qualifications who were either born in Australia or arrived in Australia before the age of 15 years, only 2% completed a STEM qualification overseas.