Generation STEM Links 
Cost-Benefit Analysis

Connecting industry with STEM tertiary students. 
Building the future workforce.

Generation STEM Links is a CSIRO-delivered internship program that connects 
industry with tertiary STEM students through paid placements across NSW. 
CSIRO conducted a cost-benefit analysis to assess the program’s value for money, 
and broader social benefits.

Between 2022 and 2025, the Generation STEM Links program (the program) facilitated 250 placements, supporting employers 
to access skilled talent, strengthen workforce capability and help students gain workplace experience.

Key findings

Economic outcomes

The program generated positive economic returns:

Total economic benefits 
$12.3 million 

(range $11.4 to $13.2 million)

Program costs 

$2.0 million

Net Present Value 
(NPV) 

$10.3 million

Benefit-cost ratio 
6.13:1

This indicates that every dollar invested 
generated approximately $6.13 in economic value. 

INDUSTRY captured most 
benefits ($11.0 million), 
largely through reduced 
recruitment costs, faster 
hiring, and productivity gains. 

STUDENT benefits were 
estimated at $1.3 million, 
primarily through earlier 
entry into STEM employment 
and increased income. 

Almost 98% of total benefits were attributable to PLACEMENTS 
that would not have existed without the program, highlighting 
the importance of facilitating internship opportunities.

Program reach

250 placements delivered

Participating businesses

• 79 businesses engaged
• 86% small and medium 
enterprises (SMEs)
• 23% regional or remote businesses
• Placements across manufacturing, 
professional services, agriculture, 
mining and emerging 
technology sectors. 


Student participation

202 students completed 
placements by December 2025:

• 34% from culturally and 
linguistically diverse backgrounds
• 34% from low socioeconomic areas
• 33% women
• 9% from regional and remote areas
• 2% Aboriginal and Torres Strait 
Islander students
• 2% students with disability. 


Strong employment 
and workforce 
outcomes:

76% of completed 
placements resulted in 
employment offers.

91% of students 
offered employment 
accepted.

80% of sampled businesses 
hosted an intern for the first time 
through the program. 

Generation STEM is managed by CSIRO and made possible 
by the NSW Government’s $25 million endowment to the 
Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).



Benefits for industry

A low-risk recruitment model

Industry partners reported that the program:

reduced recruitment effort through 
candidate screening and matching

helped fill workforce 
capability gaps

improved productivity 
through project support

provided access to high-quality 
STEM candidates

reduced hiring risk through 
internship‑to‑employment pathways. 

Better pathways 
into STEM careers

Generation STEM Links 
strengthened pathways 
from study into employment.

Compared with broader 
work‑integrated learning 
outcomes nationally, 
the program achieved 
substantially higher rates of 
students securing employment 
with their placement host. 

Supporting SMEs 
and regional businesses

Generation STEM Links reduced 
barriers that often prevent SMEs and 
regional businesses from participating 
in work‑integrated learning.

Program features enabled businesses with limited 
HR capacity to participate in internships and build 
future workforce capability.

Increasing diversity in STEM

The program improved access 
to meaningful STEM workplace 
experience for underrepresented groups.

The program’s capability-based recruitment 
approach helped broaden access to high‑quality 
STEM opportunities while supporting workforce 
diversity objectives. 

Supporting government priorities

Generation STEM Links aligns with government priorities 
throughout Australia to: 

• strengthen pathways from education to employment
• increase productivity and support 
innovation and economic growth
• improve workforce readiness 
and graduate employability
• strengthen STEM talent pipelines 
and address emerging skills needs
• support regional workforce development and access 
to opportunities
• elevate work-integrated learning opportunities 
• support diversity and inclusion in STEM careers
• raise industry involvement in workforce 
training and development.


Limitations of study

• The monetised results are conservative because they 
exclude benefits that could not be quantified reliably. 
• Limited evidence of long-term outcomes was available.
• Low participation rates from industry partners in the 
study limited some findings.


Conclusion

Generation STEM Links delivered substantial economic 
and social benefits for students, employers and the 
broader STEM ecosystem.

The program generated $12.3 million in benefits from 
a $2.0 million investment, creating significant value 
for industry, while helping students transition into 
STEM careers. The strongest returns occurred where 
the program created internship opportunities that 
would not otherwise have existed, demonstrating the 
importance of targeted support for SMEs, regional 
businesses and underrepresented students. 

Every $1 invested generated approximately $6.13 
in economic value. 

Source: Cherry, K. L. and Clark, J. T. (2026). Generation STEM Links: 
Cost-Benefit Analysis. CSIRO, Australia

CSIRO referred to the NSW Government Guide to Cost-Benefit 
Analysis (TPG23-08) to complete this cost-benefit analysis with 
external consultant Inform Economics.

Find out more at csiro.au/education/
programs/generation-stem-links-program

Email generationSTEM@csiro.au

CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency, delivering 
solutions for a productive, sustainable and secure future.

CSIRO. Improving the life of every Australian.

Contact us 1300 363 400 | csiro.au/contact | csiro.au