Program eligibility
Students
To be eligible to participate, students must be:
- in year 10 or 11, and aged 15-17 years for the duration of the work experience
- enrolled in a school in Australia
- able to commit to a designated week between March/April and December
- be supported by a teacher, parent or other approved adult in their physical location throughout their work experience project.
It is free of charge for students to participate, and there will be no payment made to students for participation. Due to limited places available, CSIRO cannot guarantee participation for all students applying to be involved.
Supervisors
Supervisors should consider the commitment before applying to mentor students through this program. This includes meeting with students online for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon each day, as well as setting and monitoring tasks, and reviewing students’ projects.
Supervisors will participate in a short (30-60 minute) presentation from CSIRO on how to use the SAP Jam platform for the program. Supervisors must have a Working with Children/Vulnerable People check, and must attend a 2-hour child safety training session.
Program outcomes
An evaluation of the program undertaken by CSIRO in 2019 found that students gained valuable experience in STEM and in new ways of working, while developing crucial life skills, such as teamwork, communication, negotiation and resilience. The virtual aspect of the program mimics the way CSIRO staff work every day, providing students with realistic expectations and building valuable skills for successfully working remotely in the future. At the end of the program, students produce a project that they can use in a portfolio of work when applying for further study or jobs.
Supervisors and their colleagues report unexpected benefits for their own professional development and job satisfaction through participating in the program. For example, sharing their career story to an enthusiastic group of students reconnects them with their original reasons for pursuing a career in STEM. For scientists who have little opportunity for public speaking, the chance to present their work in a low-risk environment enables them to further develop their skills in that areas. Beyond that, supervising young students builds mentoring and coaching skills that helps them guide their own teams on a day-to-day basis.
Read our evaluation reports