Science Alive

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Science and Information Economy. Can the minister update the chamber on how government is encouraging young South Australians to be more involved in science?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his question and his keen interest in all things scientific. As a government we want everyone in the community, particularly young people, to be curious and engaged in the sciences. It is important that school-age children in particular can grow their interest in science, technology, engineering and maths to set them up for the consideration of careers in some of the most promising future industries—jobs in industries like defence, food and beverage technology, medical devices and software development, to name a few.

We are implementing a wide range of initiatives and programs to ensure South Australia is the best place for creative entrepreneurs and researchers to innovate and to commercialise their activities to reach global markets. We know that the foundations for these careers begin at school, and investing in these STEM subjects and STEM education of our young people will be crucial.

In the last state budget there was a commitment made to build and upgrade STEM labs at 139 public schools across metropolitan regional South Australia. We want to ensure that every primary school in South Australia will have a minimum of one teacher with a STEM specialisation by 2019. Five hundred teachers will receive additional training to become professionals with specialist STEM skills as part of the STEM strategy. These investments are aimed to deliver contemporary STEM programs, giving children the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the industries of the future. STEM occupations are fast becoming one of the biggest areas of growth in the world, and we are keen to ensure that South Australia builds, attracts and keeps businesses that prosper in Australia but are connected to the global economy.

It was for these reasons that I was incredibly pleased to officially launch Science Alive at Tonsley. Seeing Science Alive and our state's premier innovation, Tonsley, coming together was indeed a very good thing, and I am pleased to say that the South Australian government has provided $20,000 to Science Alive to support their programs. It was a fantastic day. The main assembly building area at Tonsley was bumper to bumper with students, parents and families getting excited by science. Shooting smoke cannons, digging for fossils and making slime were among the activities that people got involved in.

Science Alive also held their most recent event at the Playford Civic Centre on 7 May, which again had all sorts of interesting stuff for young children, including Daleks, which are always a crowd favourite. I am informed that almost 10,000 people attended both of those events—the Science Alive in the north and the Science Alive in the south. Science Alive have upcoming events at Whyalla, Mount Gambier and Port Augusta, and of course there is the big yearly Science Alive at the Adelaide Showground.

It is a great opportunity for young people to have fun with science and to see what kind of careers are possible. Last year, Science Alive at the showground attracted more than 26,000 people, and it continues to grow, particularly with events like the recent ones at Tonsley and Elizabeth. Science and innovation are key priorities for the government, and Science Alive supports these priorities by inspiring and engaging young people in areas of STEM.

On a finishing note, I thank some of the organisations who help make Science Alive happen: Flinders University, University SA, Saab, ZEN Energy, SciWorld, Questacon, the Adelaide Showground, Renewal SA, BAE and the City of Playford are but a few of those that make these events what they are.