Technology Organisations Collaborate To Provide Access To Free STEM Learning Opportunities At Low Decile Schools

13, June, 2023, Auckland, New Zealand – A group of leading technology companies are collaborating to provide tamariki with digital access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics at low decile New Zealand intermediate schools.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Code Avengers, Education Perfect, Intel, and Lancom Technology are behind the Indigitech initiative, which aims to provide year seven and eight students, particularly those from Māori and Pacific Island communities, with free digital access to STEM learning in the classroom. The Indigitech program also provides students with the tools and expertise to learn coding. The Indigitech program officially launches today after successfully onboarding more than 5,700 students and 270 teachers from 33 low decile schools across Auckland, Hamilton, Hastings, Mangakino, Northland, and Rotorua, following a six-month pilot with two intermediate schools.

Indigitech aims to address the digital skills and diversity gap in New Zealand’s technology industry, as highlighted in the Digital Skills Aotearoa: Digital Skills for our Digital Future report, commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) with NZTech. The study shows that New Zealand needs 4,000–5,000 new digital technology professionals each year, and that only 4% of Māori and 2.8% of Pasifika communities are employed in digital technology roles, highlighting that more must be done to grow and diversify the local talent pool.

“Indigitech is an exciting new initiative that will drive greater awareness and understanding of technology within Māori and Pasifika communities,” said Debbie Clarke, regional manager, New Zealand, Education Perfect. “Students within these communities lack consistent access to high-quality education and learning opportunities within technology, which can lead to low participation. “Our goal is to provide free STEM learning opportunities for students by removing the cost barrier for low decile schools to better prepare students for jobs in technology.”

A technology-enabled workforce has been shown to provide significant benefits for workers, organisations, and the economy. Earlier this year AWS commissioned a report on ‘New Zealand Digital Skills Study: The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce,’ which found that advanced digital workers in Aotearoa contribute an estimated NZ$7.3 billion to New Zealand’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). This is attributed to the 19% higher salaries that these workers earn compared to those with a similar education who do not use digital skills at work.

“Technology is rapidly evolving and is driving digital transformation, innovation and growth across Aotearoa, New Zealand, which in turn creates a demand for a more digitally skilled workforce,” says Tiffany Bloomquist, commercial sector country director, AWS New Zealand. “Indigitech aims to inspire students within underrepresented communities such as Māori and Pasifika about careers in technology. By collaborating with industry, we hope initiatives like Indigitech provide equitable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources, while addressing the skills gap in New Zealand's digital technology industries.”

“Bader Intermediate is a South Auckland school with mainly Māori or Pasifika students, and limited access to digital learning resources,” said Annabelle Bullock, deputy principal, Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School. “Indigitech has changed that and is giving students new digital learning opportunities, and the tools and knowledge to improve their digital competency and understanding of technology. Education Perfect engages students through interactive learning experiences and personalised feedback across a range of curriculum areas, including Te Reo Māori, while Code Avengers offers a comprehensive yet culturally responsive coding curriculum, fostering hands-on practice and immediate feedback. The Indigitech program is making a big impact already, enhancing student creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through projects and challenges, while empowering teachers with insightful data analytics and reporting tools to make more informed teaching decisions.”

The Indigitech program has three key components, reaching schools, teachers, and students:

Participating schools gain free access to the digital Education Perfect (EP) curriculum including English, Math, Science, Te Reo Māori, and Te Ao Māori topics, as well free access to the Code Avengers learning platform

Participating teachers gain free access to a micro-credentials professional learning program that provides guidance on how to engage students using digital technology and how to build Education Perfect into their classroom lessons,

Participating students gain access to Education Perfect and Code Avengers’ program within their normal school curriculum plus access to additional activities to inspire students around future careers in technology like AWS Deep Racer.

The Indigitech program will run for the rest of the year within the 33 schools, with the next intake of schools beginning in October 2023, with the goal of expanding to further schools in 2024.

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