A new national program is pairing Australian classrooms with aviation and aerospace professionals, as educators and industry leaders look to address skills shortages and broaden student pathways into STEM careers.
Applications have opened for Aviators in Schools, an initiative led by the CSIRO in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia that connects teachers with industry experts to bring real-world aviation experience into primary and secondary schools.
The program launches against a backdrop of rapid technological change in aviation and ongoing concerns about Australia’s STEM pipeline, particularly the low participation of women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in science, technology and engineering fields.
CSIRO Director of Education and Outreach Ruth Carr said making STEM learning relevant and practical was key to engaging students and improving long-term workforce outcomes.
“STEM education is critical to Australia’s long-term success and to improving employment opportunities for young people,” Ms Carr said.
“It gives students the confidence to explore a wide range of career options and contribute to the industries shaping our future.”
Under the model, teachers are matched with aviation and aerospace professionals through flexible partnerships that may include mentoring, classroom talks, site visits, hands-on demonstrations and co-designed projects aligned with curriculum requirements.
Aviation/Aerospace Australia chief executive Anntonette Dailey said the initiative was designed to tackle structural barriers that continue to limit participation in the sector.
“We know that a lack of access to relevant role models and mentors, as well as awareness about the opportunities available — particularly in engineering and technical roles — remains a significant barrier.”
She said evidence consistently showed that more diverse workforces led to better decision-making and innovation, and that early exposure to industry was critical in shaping career aspirations.
One school already benefiting from the approach is Findon Primary School in Victoria, where teacher Steevi-Anne Flack said the program helped define the school’s emerging STEM focus.
“STEM was a new initiative for us and we weren’t entirely sure where we wanted to take it,” Ms Flack said.
“Working with an aeronautical engineer brought in fresh ideas and helped us see what was possible.”
She said students responded strongly to lessons that linked classroom experiments with real-world aerospace applications.
“It was fascinating for them to see how something as simple as making lava lamps could connect to aerospace engineering,” she said.
“That real-world connection made a big difference.”
The program is free for registered teachers in Australian primary and secondary schools and is open to STEM professionals with experience in aviation, aerospace or related fields.
Aviators in Schools forms part of CSIRO’s broader STEM Professionals in Schools initiative, which supported more than 1,100 teachers and 900 industry professionals across Australia in 2025.
The initiative is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and the Women in Aviation Industry Initiative, and delivered by CSIRO in partnership with Aviation/Aerospace Australia.
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