This page provides information on the Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program.
About the program
The program has capacity to support up to 600 women working in paid employment to undertake higher education study in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field at the following qualification levels:
- Diploma
- Associate Degree
- Advanced Diploma.
The 2020-21 Budget committed $25.1 million from 2020-21 to 2024-25 to the program.
Participating higher education providers will receive a grant to deliver the approved courses.
Eligible employers are also potentially eligible to receive grant funds to help with some of the costs associated with providing flexible work arrangements.
Second Application Round 2022
Applications for Round 2 of the Women in STEM Program are now open for eligible higher education and NUHEP providers to apply for employer-reserved places under the Program. Applications open on 4 April 2022 and close 5pm AEST 9 May 2022.
Find out more about 2022 Women in STEM Application Round 2.
Program objectives
The Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program aims to promote equality of opportunity in higher education, through increasing the access to and participation of women in higher education STEM fields of education.
The key objectives of the Program are to:
- Increase the number of STEM-qualified women in the labour force
- Help women upskill in STEM fields or build STEM careers
- Develop a higher education pathway to produce graduates with workplace skills in STEM fields
First Application Round
The first application round in December 2020 invited higher education providers to apply to deliver courses under the program in December 2020. Applications closed in January 2021.
A total of 18 higher education providers were approved to deliver 37 STEM or Agriculture courses, with the potential to support nearly 600 women across Australia.
Approved providers identified more than 40 employers to potentially participate in the program, drawn from a variety of industries.
Approved providers from Round 1
Current participating higher education providers include:
| Providers | Approved Courses |
|---|---|
| Academy of Information Technology | Diploma of Information Technology |
| Central Queensland University | Associate Degree in Engineering |
| Charles Darwin University | Diploma of Network Engineering
Diploma of Engineering Diploma of Science |
| Curtin University | Associate Degree in Agribusiness
Associate Degree in Mining |
| Flinders University |
Diploma of Digital Technologies |
|
Griffith University |
Diploma in Computing and Data Analytics |
|
La Trobe University |
Diploma of IT |
|
Monash College |
Diploma of Applied Data Science Diploma of Engineering Diploma of IT Diploma of Science |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
Diploma in Engineering Diploma in Information Technology |
|
RMIT University |
Diploma of Information Technology Diploma of Engineering Diploma of Science Associate Degree of IT Associate Degree in Engineering Technology Associate Degree in Applied Science |
|
Swinburne University |
Diploma in Applied Technologies |
|
TAFE SA |
Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering |
|
University of Notre Dame |
Diploma of Data Analytics |
|
University of Southern Queensland |
Diploma of University Studies (Spatial Science) Diploma of Wine Diploma of Science (Wildlife Management) Diploma of University Studies (Engineering) Associate Degree of Engineering Associate Degree of Spatial Science (GIS) Associate Degree of Spatial Science (Surveying) |
Further information
More information about the Program requirements for higher education providers, employers and students can be found in the Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2012, or visit the program’s Frequently Asked Questions page.
Factsheets for the program can also be found at Provider Factsheet, or Employer and Employee Factsheet.
Contact
For questions about the program, please contact the Program team at DESE-TertiaryProjects@dese.gov.au.