Baidam unveils new STEM scholarship with RMIT University

According to CEO Beau Hodge, this scholarship is about enabling pathways and careers that wouldn’t normally be front of mind for First Nations Peoples.

First Nations IT provider Baidam has unveiled a new STEM scholarship with RMIT to help Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander students transition from vocational diplomas to full-time study.

The scholarship is aimed for students studying cybersecurity, computer science and other STEM subjects.

In addition to financial assistance, students will have access to the wraparound support and sense of community that RMIT’s Ngarara Willim Centre provides to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at RMIT.

Beau Hodge, CEO at Baidam told CRN Australia this scholarship is about enabling pathways and careers that wouldn’t normally be front of mind for First Nations Peoples.

“It also provides them with the opportunity to focus on their learning, by hopefully reducing some of the external pressures,” he said.

“As this is a perpetual scholarship, there isn’t a cap on the number of students we reach over time. The purpose of delivering perpetual scholarships means that for as long as the programmes exist, we’ll be supporting a First Nations student to move forward.”

Hodge noted that going straight to traditional learning doesn’t always work for First Nations Peoples.

He said the RMIT scholarship particularly allows them to have completed vocational training before commencing a degree.

“Both RMIT and UNSW have Indigenous community centres on campus, where elders and knowledge holders within the community drop in on a regular basis,” he said.

“That continuity of community in new environments, provides them with space and place where they can feel at home. We know that this makes a huge difference.”

The new scholarship is a part of the Baidam Initiative, its commitment to ‘bridging the gap’.

According to Hodge, through the Baidam Initiative, they've contributed over $3.2 million in social and economic value to Indigenous Peoples, businesses, and communities.

“Our six perpetual university scholarships are just one part of that,” he said.

“We've always been, and will continue to be, a profit-with-purpose business. That means we invest across multiple pathways for First Nations learning – whether that's vocational programmes like the Deadly Coders Academy, further education through the SANS Institute, or our partnership with Deadly Choices, which focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of First Nations people.

“All of it is designed to support a better future for First Nations communities, and we're not done yet.”

Hodge believes this scholarship could help the current talent shortage.

“We’re all acutely aware of the talent shortage facing our industry, these pathways help support students into STEM and then through the pathways that enable those students to grow and succeed,” he explained.

“By providing enablement through financial support, community support, mentorship – we hope that we’ll continue to foster and provide different pathways to First Nations students.”

The First Nations ITSM also has a perpetual scholarship at UNSW Sydney.

The business has also fully or co-funded several other STEM scholarships at Edith Cowan University (WA), Australian National University (ACT), and the University of Queensland (QLD).