Murrawarri man and University of Melbourne Associate Dean Joseph West returned home over the weekend, with a goal to open the doors for Indigenous people into STEM careers, and build the number of Indigenous engineers. 

The Return to Country STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) program kicked off in Western Plains communities last week to spark interest in a career pathway where Indigenous people are underrepresented. 

As part of the program, staff from the University of Melbourne met in Bourke, Brewarrina, Goodooga and Enngonia, hosting several activities to expose students and their communities to opportunities within engineering and information technology. 

Hailing from the Culgoa River region himself, Dr West is a key part in delivering the Return to Country program, with personal insights into the lack of exposure to the industry. 

“Recent numbers show that only 0.5 per cent of the Indigenous population have engineering degrees, compared to 5.2 per cent of the non-Indigenous population,” Dr Joseph West said. 

“Unless we build and fill this pipeline, universities and industry will be forever competing for the same pool of Indigenous academic talent, that is, those people who are already succeeding at high school.”

As part of the program, a Return to Country oration was hosted on Wednesday, 21 February, which gathered an audience of Indigenous Elders, community leaders, teachers, local councillors, and government representatives. 

A panel of academia, community leaders and teachers concluded the event by discussing ways to overcome barriers to STEM education. 

“Strategies are changing within many universities, through initiatives such as alternative access pathways, scholarships and other incentives.” Dr West said. 

“For instance, the Victorian Indigenous Engineering Winter School (VIEWS) is now offered by four Victorian universities to Year 10, 11 and 12 Indigenous students from across Australia, with transport and accommodation provided.”

“The five-day program expands participants’ perspectives on engineering and information technology and has been so successful that VIEWS alumni are now part of the University’s mentoring and leadership program.”

Through the ongoing problem, selected Indigenous students and staff from STEM programs will revisit their own Indigenous communities to engage with primary and secondary school students and showcase pathways to higher education and careers in STEM.