Program Minting Indigenous Engineers

The Indigenous Australian Engineering School (IAES) has run for almost three decades in NSW through UNSW, the University of Sydney, Newcastle University and at Curtin University in WA, inspiring dozens of Indigenous kids often from rural communities to pursue engineering as a career.

This is year marks the first time it will be held in South Australia, at Flinders, 15 Indigenous high school students will visit IAES which aims to inspire, empower and connect future Indigenous leaders in STEM, through a blend of cultural experiences, hands-on engineering activities and visits to leading industry partners.

The program, a collaboration between Flinders University and Engineering Aid Australia, will bring together Indigenous high school students from South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory who share a passion for STEM subjects, and introduce them to engineering through workshops, site visits and hands-on activities.

IAES has a profound effect on young Indigenous students. Raphael Thomas is now in his final year of studying engineering at Flinders University and was inspired to pursue this course after attending IAES.

“I completed the IAES in Sydney during 2019, when I was in Year 11. Up ‘til that point, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I knew I was leaning towards something with a math or science focus and was recommended to look into engineering, but I didn't know anyone who did engineering, and the information out there felt very general and vague,” says Raphael.

“IAES answered my questions about the field of engineering, from day-to-day work to identifying the different avenues my career could follow. It opened me up to different types of engineering through visits to major employers. After IAES, I applied for a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Flinders, and I have also gained paid internships through the IAES network – and have secured a graduate engineering job at leading civil engineering company, commencing next year.

“The summer school was the most formative event in directing my career path, giving me the confidence to pursue a career in engineering.”

Thomas’s younger brother Reuben is travelling from Darwin to attend this year’s event in Adelaide.

Flinders University graduate, Associate Professor Courtney Ryder, an expert in Indigenous health and Aboriginal injury studies, will also help to host the first cohort at Flinders University. She was part of one of the first IAES sessions held at Sydney University.

“As a 15-year-old Nunga kid from southern South Australia, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I finished school. So, when the opportunity arose to attend the first Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School in 1998, I thought: ‘why not and what do engineers do anyway?’

“Little did I know that this would be a transformative experience in shaping my career aspirations. The journey included so many firsts; I hadn’t been on an aeroplane before, travelled to Sydney or been to a university.

"In 2001, through the Yunggorendi Admissions Centre, I was accepted to study biomedical engineering at Flinders University. Over the next five years, I studied hard to pursue my career aspirations and in March 2006 and I graduated with honours – becoming the first Aboriginal biomedical engineer and the first Aboriginal female from the IAES to graduate from engineering," she says.

“The school was part of why I originally became a biomedical engineer. It is a great program.”

The Indigenous Australian Engineering School is held over four-days at Flinders at Tonsley, it’s free and hands-on. Participants will engage in workshops, activities and visits with qualified engineers to sites including the Torrens to Darlington tunnel (with Arcadis) and a shipyard tour with BAE in Osborne. They will also visit cutting-edge laboratories, and connect with other like-minded students. Travel, meals and accommodation are all covered - and eligible participants may be considered for ongoing support through Engineering Aid Australia scholarships.

IAES is supported by a broad coalition of industry partners across defence, construction, and energy - including Tonkin, BAE, ASC, Babcock, Arup, Ventia, Arcadis and Bechtel.
Flinders University was chosen to host the first SA-based IAES event due to its degree apprenticeship pathways and industry collaborations that create real opportunities for Indigenous students and help them envision future possibilities.