A major scientific organisation in Victoria says science literacy among Australian students has been dropping over the past two decades and schools face a shortage of science teachers.
In a bid to counter that, the Royal Society of Victoria has joined with two other organisations to offer training for overseas-qualified scientists to become what are called "science communicators".
The idea is to have professionals deliver presentations to non-expert audiences.
It comes as the federal government indicates it is prepared to consider recruiting specialist maths and science teachers from abroad in response to declining standards.
Royal Society of Victoria chief executive Mike Flattley says the organisation is hearing reports of overseas-trained science professionals struggling to find work in their fields.
"People who have science training or skills or experience and don't have an opportunity to put those skills and experiences into action in an Australian context for a variety of reasons. It's all anecdotal, and we are very curious, I guess you could say, to know just how large is this community of migrants who have these science skills but, for whatever reason, find that those skills are unrecognised or under-utilised when they're working in Australia."
It is a scenario familiar to Milos Lee, who arrived in Melbourne three years ago from Serbia.
In his 40s, and with postgraduate qualifications in physics, IT and education from the University of Belgrade, he once taught at the renowned Belgrade Mathematical Grammar School.
The high school for gifted students has received numerous international awards and has the official status of a "school of national importance."
Employment opportunities in Australia have only been temporary, involving start-up ventures and some work for the state government in what is called STEM education.
Mr Lee says language proficiency has been one of the challenges he has faced in trying to enter the job market.
"When I need to submit certain documents or I need to create something, I am well aware that it's not at the same level as it would be in my native language. That's something that is, I think, a bigger barrier than other people can realise. I was told many times that my English is good. However, what I know is that my English is good for everyday conversation, but, when something needs to be said in a precise way, explained really in detail, I realise that I'm not at that level yet. And that sometimes creates issues, because the other side - if we communicate through email, or (such) - is not always aware of those impediments that I, as a migrant, have."
Backed by private funding, Mr Lee turned to developing a proposal for changes to the STEM curriculum he plans to submit for consideration by the state government.
He says he feels overseas-trained professionals from some countries are not seen as equals to their Australian-educated counterparts.
"From a point of view of migrants - and Australia is a migrant country - that is really frustrating. In many cases, people have to start from scratch. And I had to start from scratch and prove who I am, what I do, go through so many legal steps to actually be in a position to kind of compete equally with Australian experts or people with Australian degrees."
Grants provide for four places in the trial stage of the "science communicators" plan, with a focus on preparing the successful candidates for placement in primary schools and high schools.
They will be shown how to register as sole traders for tax purposes and will receive mentoring and access to Victorian science networks.
Cultural Infusion, the group delivering the Migrant Science Communication Accelerator program, has committed to using its existing school connections to promote the participants.
Spokesman Gurm Sekhon says the training will prepare them to face their audiences.
"Many of the people will have had experience as scientists behind the scenes, i.e., not performing in front of audiences. The main thing that this is going to teach, from a practical presentation point of view, is how to engage with a larger audience, particularly school-age students who may have no experience of science in a practical manner before. So it's communication skills, presentation skills, performing skills, and also about telling the story, the story that the individual has got of their own journey coming to Australia and of their experience as a scientist in the past in their former country."
That is the other dimension of the program, which the Royal Society's Mike Flattley says is vital.
"There's a combined need for both scientific learning in the curriculum but also intercultural understanding. And what we're hoping to bring together with this program is two things together, which is very much an understanding of the migrant story and the migrant experience, what a particular individual feels they have left and what they have brought also to Australia and to Victoria that is different and unique and, of course, valuable. But through that particular lens, also communicating some pretty tasty science and helping students and teachers to become more engaged and more confident with the sciences."
Gurm Sekhon says eligible applicants need to have a Master-level degree in science and be able to demonstrate prior professional work.
"We're looking for people who have migrated to Australia who were scientists prior to migration, perhaps working as a scientist, perhaps as an academic. We're being broad about that. So, there are people with engineering qualifications who would also qualify as scientists. We'll take that on a case-by-case basis. But we're also looking for people who've had the migrant experience, whose unique stories also make for an even richer presentation."
