Baidam go full circle with RMIT perpetual First Nations scholarship
Baidam and RMIT establish a perpetual scholarship supporting First Nations students progressing from vocational study into technology and STEM degrees.
Baidam, Australia’s leading First Nations information technology provider, today announced a new STEM scholarship with RMIT. RMIT is an international university of technology and design and Australia's largest tertiary institution.
The new scholarship brings Baidam’s commitment to ‘bridging the gap’ full circle, as RMIT graduate (BCompSc) Candice Bowditch was the inaugural recipient of the Baidam Initiative SANS certification scholarship, through which she studied Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth.
Bowditch went on to speak alongside Baidam Co-founder Jack Reis on the importance of inclusive leadership in technology at SXSW Sydney and recently moved to Seattle as a Senior Security Engineer on Google's Detection and Response team.
“We were honoured to have supported Candice on her pathway to a successful career in cybersecurity,” says Beau Hodge, CEO of Baidam, “so it’s exciting to formalise a perpetual scholarship to support more First Nations students studying cyber, technology and STEM-related disciplines at RMIT.”
Known for offering both university and vocational education, RMIT creates pathways between qualifications for students who choose to pursue further study. This scholarship will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students progressing from RMIT vocational education diplomas into full-time undergraduate study in cyber security, computer science and related STEM disciplines.
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.
“RMIT’s data shows that First Nations undergraduate students receiving scholarships have substantially higher retention rates than those without a scholarship,” says Hodge. “We’re exceptionally grateful for the support from our clients which has made it possible for us to put our weight behind this very successful program.”
RMIT Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Education, Research and Engagement Professor Gary Thomas said the scholarship would create an enduring pathway into technology careers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
“This landmark gift gives Indigenous students a clear opportunity to build on an RMIT diploma or advanced diploma through an undergraduate technology degree," Professor Thomas said.
“We thank Baidam for its vision and commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities.
“As an Indigenous-owned business making a gift in perpetuity, Baidam is investing directly in Indigenous ambition and futures for generations to come.”
Just a few days ago, Baidam announced a new perpetual scholarship at UNSW. 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).