The federal government is showing signs of greater support for science after a new parliamentary secretary declared her backing for the chief scientist's recommendations to boost the economy through science and innovation.
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Karen Andrews, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry & Science, used her first formal speech to call for the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in primary and secondary schools.
Ms Andrews, who was promoted in December in a cabinet reshuffle, said the government would be "carefully considering" every recommendation in Professor Ian Chubb's 2014 landmark report, STEM: Australia's Future, which called for a national strategy to align research, education, international engagement and innovation to boost the country's competitiveness.
She said the government understood Australia's economy would benefit significantly if science and maths literacy improved in the population.
Ms Andrew's comments came on the day a new report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers warns that Australia risks dropping out of the world's 20 largest economies by mid-century as the mining boom unwinds.
PwC economist Jeremy Thorpe said Australia could not compete with other countries in large-scale industries such as consumer electronics and clothing manufacturing, but could prosper if there was greater focus on innovation, underpinned by investment in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Roughly half the occupations that exist today will not exist in 2050, he said.
"We can't say what the world is going to look like [in 2050], but it's probably going to have more digital disruption, it'll still have more computing, and a stronger emphasis on jobs that work on solutions for climate change and its impacts."
"When you look at those trends you start to see that science, technology, engineering and maths becomes critical for a country like us to respond to all those structural changes."
Mr Thorpe said Australia desperately needed a long-term STEM plan that transcended day-to-day political cycles. "We need to see it as a national priority," he said.
Ms Andrews, who spoke at the Australian National University's Crawford School on Wednesday, said she looked forward to working "very closely" with Professor Chubb this year to promote his plan.
"We understand that, for there to be real changes, it's going to be about a 10-year timeframe because we're looking to influence the directions of [children] in the upper primary [and] lower secondary [schools], so by the time those students come through and go into trades or university courses, you're looking at about 10 years before they come out the other end."
Ms Andrews said the newly formed Science Council would meet in March or April to discuss the policy's progress, and she hoped to finalise a plan by the following meeting in September or October.
As well as a STEM strategy, Mr Thorpe said industry needed to play a bigger role inspiring people, particularly young people and their parents, about STEM jobs.
"At the moment the debate is largely supply-led, it's scientists talking about the need for more scientists and academics wanting more people to teach their subjects. That will only get you so far. We need the demand side - industry - to also come onboard."
Ignoring the role of STEM in Australia's future risked hollowing the nation's economy, as manufacturing jobs and some service professions would be provided cheaper by others.
"We cannot fight demographics, the only thing we can address is our national productivity."
Productivity improves through innovation and the country needs engineers, scientists and technologists to innovate, he said.
"We need to have an improved level of STEM to ensure we are competing at the knowledge-end of the economy."
