The Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program aims to increase access to, and participation of, women in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) field.
Objectives of the program
The Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program aims to promote equality of opportunity in higher education, through increasing access to, and participation of, up to 600 employed women studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
The key objectives of the program are to:
- Help women upskill in STEM fields or build STEM careers
- Develop a higher education pathway to produce graduates with workplace skills in STEM fields
- Increase the number of STEM-qualified women in the labour force.
About the program
The $25.1 million program (2020-21 to 2026-2027) provides grant funding to approved higher education providers to develop and deliver pre-bachelor STEM qualifications to support women to study part-time while they continue their careers.
Up to $5,000 per employee, per year, is also available for eligible employers to support employees’ participation in the program. These funds can be used to provide flexible work arrangements or to cover costs associated with study, tuition fees or other study-related expenses.
By supporting part-time higher education STEM pathways for employed women, the program helps to increase Australia’s STEM-skilled workforce byand assisting industry partners to upskill their workers employees with job-relevant and future-ready skills.
There have been two application rounds to date – Round 1 in 2020 and Round 2 in 2022. A list of approved higher education providers participating in the program, including information on approved courses, is available.
More information about the program can be found in the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022, or the program’s Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact
For questions about the program, please email TertiaryProjects@education.gov.au.
Program announcements
Recently announced in the 2023-24 Budget, the Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships program has been extended by two years to 2026-27, providing more time for women to study part-time under the program while managing competing commitments.
Budget 2023-24 Factsheet – Higher Education Support Women in STEM
Outcomes of the Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program Round 2
Provider Announcements
Charles Sturt University
Flinders University
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Newcastle