The Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (AWPA) prepares an annual report about the demand for skills from the resources sector and the supply of skills available to meet those needs and options to address skill shortages. AWPA has released in December 2012 its second annual report on the resources sector skill needs. A key consideration which is part of the report and that refers to STEM education and training opportunities in the K-12 and VET sectors follows:
“Policy makers could explore the relationship between the responsiveness of the tertiary and the VET sector and participation in mathematics and science subjects in the secondary and primary school systems. There is a need to increase education and training opportunities through schooling, higher education and VET in STEM to better address the resources sector skill needs.”