The Department of Higher Education and Training has university performance targets for qualifications; five of them involve science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects; the sixth is for qualified teachers, and the other two are for master’s degrees and doctorates (in all subjects). The targets for teachers, veterinary science graduates and doctorates were met in 2023, according to the latest available annual report. None of the other targets was met.
The number of engineering graduates is particularly problematic because it has decreased every year for the past six years – from 13 714 graduates in 2019 to 10 805 in 2024.
Yearly human health science graduates have also decreased since 2022 – from 9 646 in 2020 to 8 663 in 2024.
Natural and physical science graduates are also below the target, but at least their number has increased from 9 121 in 2019 to 10 960 in 2024.
The reason given by the department for the underperformance of these graduates lies in a shortage of matrics who pass the subjects needed to do those subjects at university, as well as budget cuts: “Many students who qualify to study at universities do not meet the requirements to pursue STEM,” states its annual report.
