ANALYSIS OF STEM FIELD

Analysis of STEM fields

Analysis of STEM fields
1. Introduction STEM is an acronym that referring to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Rotherham, 2011). What is STEM? The simple answer is that STEM means jobs. A complicated answer is that it is an educational key to a better U.S. economy; it addresses the growing disconnect between the skills that employers need in a rapidly increasing technological world and the lack of talent that the education system produces (Rotherham, 2011).
The purpose of this paper is to present STEM fields as a necessary component to improve American competitiveness in the global marketplace. The main focus of this paper will introduce STEM-focused education as a strategy to create jobs with higher salary levels than non-STEM fields. An additional argument will discuss some alternative STEM solutions such as recruiting more women needed to fill STEM jobs and hiring the most qualified foreign graduates with advanced STEM degrees. In the U.S. job market, during the past decade, jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have grown three times faster than in non-STEM jobs (Gillibrand & Kennedy, 2014). According to the Department of Commerce, employment in energy-related fields will continue to grow over the next decade as STEM jobs will increase 17%, whereas other occupations will grow at a projected 9.8% (Gillibrand & Kennedy, 2014). A recent report from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that STEM fields are high-demand employment sectors, wherein there are 2-to-3 million unfilled positions because companies cannot find workers with basic technical skills. More than 80% of employers looking for scientists, engineers, high-skilled technical workers like programmers, and high-skilled medical workers reported having a difficulty hiring people in these positions (Kurtzleben , 2014). The growing importance of STEM jobs in the U.S. economy has not been neglected. In 2014, the U.S. federal government plans to spend $3.1 billion on STEM education programs through a variety of federal agencies, an increase of 6.7% over 2012 funding levels (Society of Women Engineers, 2014). From the White House to educational institutions, STEM represents that the vehicle to propel the United States to the forefront of the global marketplace (Schiavelli, 2012).
2. Growth of STEM jobs drives economy and salary levels According to the Brookings Institute (Table 1), some of the highest salaries are in STEM fields. STEM jobs that require the most knowledge include biomedical engineers, who earn an average salary of $ 88,360. Engineers of all types command the highest salaries taking home an average salary of $92,260 (The Bureau of National Affairs, 2013). The Brookings report also says that, overall, STEM jobs are paid 14% more than non-STEM jobs with similar education, which is a bachelor’s degree or higher (The Bureau of National Affairs, 2013).

The Brookings report also found that STEM jobs carry a salary premium, even for those without a bachelor’s degree. Half of all STEM jobs are available to workers without a four year college degree and pay an average salary of $53, 000 which is 10% higher than non-STEM jobs with similar education (The Bureau of National Affairs, 2013). Half of the STEM jobs are in manufacturing, construction industry and health care (Table 2). The most common STEM occupation is registered nursing. There are over 2.7million registered nurses in the U.S., with an average salary of $69,110 (The Bureau of National Affairs, 2013).

STEM industries offer better compensation and more career advancement opportunities. The prominence of STEM jobs continues to increase and have a great influence on the U.S. economy (Kurtzleben, 2014).
3. Create a sustainable pipeline for women in STEM fields The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that 74% of STEM workers are male and only 26% are female (U.S. News, 2014). According to U.S. News, women occupy close to half of all the jobs in the U.S. economy, but they hold less than 26% of STEM jobs. Women comprise more than 20% of engineering school graduates, yet only 11% of practicing engineers are women. Of 100 female bachelor students, 12 graduate with a STEM major but only 3 continue to work in STEM fields 10 years after graduation. The wage gap between women and men is much smaller in STEM occupations than other occupations. In STEM fields, women earn $0.92 for every $1 earned by men, compared to $0.77 for other fields. Women with STEM jobs earned 33% more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs (U.S. News, 2014). More women in STEM fields not only maintains competitiveness from a global perspective, but STEM industries offer better compensation and more career advancement opportunities for women (Schiavelli, 2012). Creating a pathway for women to be successful in these industries is a complex problem. Culture biases hold that STEM fields are male domains. Fortunately, higher education is taking a lead in reversing the numbers by hosting workshops led by women in STEM-related fields designed specifically to convince young women of the merits of a career in STEM occupations (Marcus, 2014). The trend must be reversed, starting with the hope that the Commerce Department’s report leads to a sustained motivation to encourage women towards STEM fields. The roots of these efforts should start as early as middle school. The Society of Women Engineers encourages preteen girls to pursue STEM studies, because that is when many girls lose interest in math and science (Marcus, 2014). The society establishes engineering as a desirable career for women through training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships, and advocacy activities. The objective is to keep female students interested in STEM through the eighth grade and facilitate participation in high school, such as combining college-prep coursework with hands-on experience in engineering research, robotics, and nanotechnology labs. Such a solid foundation is likely to increase STEM majors in college (Schiavelli, 2012). For example, Alaska seeks to better prepare students for careers in STEM fields through consistent instruction from middle school through college. Women now make up about 40% of the students in STEM programs at the University of Alaska at Anchorage (Bidwell, 2014). Since a higher percentage of men are working in STEM fields, they can and should be internal advocates for women by encouraging more female STEM hires. Increased STEM education for girls will help produce the flexible workforce needed to compete in today’s marketplace (Marcus, 2014).
4. Alternative solutions to fill the STEM jobs Training STEM teachers – recently, politicians have said the United States education system has to do a better job of teaching STEM fields in order to close the "skills gap" where STEM companies have openings for highly-paid jobs but there is a shortage of workers to fill them. President Obama has set a goal of training 100,000 new STEM teachers during the next decade to help close that gap (Robelen, 2013). Immigration policy – international students who graduate from colleges and universities in the United States are able to receive training through work experience for up to 12 months (Telecommunications Reports, 2013). Students who graduate from a STEM degree program can remain in the United States for an additional 17 months on an OPT extension. Under the Stem jobs Act (HR 6412), 50,000 visas would be available for holders of advanced STEM degrees each year (Telecommunications Reports, 2013). Community colleges – offer good career paths to people who do not get a bachelor’s degree, or for workers who need retraining. Community colleges have the ability to respond quickly to market needs (Koch, 2012). Community colleges and two-year institutions should be an integral part of society and the nation’s economic development strategies. These institutions, working with government and business, can help build a stronger workforce to attract diverse companies, and develop the talent to support the STEM fields. Community Colleges can also move away from a system that allows the picking and choosing of courses to one based on defined career pathways, with a focus on job skills and employability (Koch, 2012). Online education – The buzz around online education has been building for some time, with the higher education community developing a wide range of distance learning coursework and degree programs and exploring the potential of massive open online courses (MOOCs). Many university officials and education experts have gained new insight on the role of online education in STEM programs and examined the landscape and tested the waters (Pantazis, 2012). For example, Georgia Tech seeks to provide an affordable model for awarding credit for MOOCs with its new wholly online master of computer science degree (Pantazis, 2012). 5. CONCLUSION It is important to encourage students in the STEM subjects. Any program that begins addressing STEM after early middle school is too late. If we really want to make a difference, we should pay for qualified teachers to teach those subjects starting as soon as kids get to school. Too many elementary school teachers do not have a strong math background and do not teach it well, The simplest way to encourage teachers in STEM fields is to pay them on par with what STEM workers should be paid – and to pay STEM workers more than jobs in finance, accounting and similar fields. Every now and then the idea is spread that we should pay teachers according to subject specialty because a graduate with a math degree has many options for more lucrative employment than a person with a liberal studies degree or social studies degree. When that comes up though, many teachers are offended because they see it as another teacher getting more pay for the same job, rather than looking at the potential value of their degree outside of education. Importing foreign students or graduates in greater quantities is NOT the way to encourage Americans to go into STEM fields because the availability of foreign workers drives salaries down. More women are needed to fill STEM jobs, as there is still gender discrimination when it comes to certain types of formal jobs. STEM workers drive U.S. innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. STEM matters for all kids, and educators, politicians, business leaders, the media, and many other stakeholders can improve it (World Ecnonomic Forum, 2013). They all play essential roles in developing new industries and opportunities that create jobs and spur economic growth. It also has implications for workforce development, national security concerns and immigration policy (Bidwell, 2013).

References
Bidwell , A. (2014, January 21). Alaska STEM Advocate Helps Women, Minorities Succeed. U.S. News.
Bidwell, A. (2013, July 8). Economy Will Face Shortage of 5 Million Workers in 2020. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/
The Bureau of National Affairs (2013). Growth of STEM Jobs Drives Economy and Salary leverls. The Bureau of National Affairs, INC.
Gillibrand, K., & Kennedy, J. (2014, January 10). STEM jobs key to better economy: Column. USA Today.
Koch, M. (2012). Workforce Development is An Energy Imperative. Economic Development Journal, 10(2).
Kurtzleben , D. (2014, 28). Surveys Find Employers Have Too Few and Too Many Qualified Workers. U.S. News.
Marcus, B. (2014, March 28). Mentors Help Create A Sustainable Pipeline For Women In STEM. Forbes.
Pantazis, C. (2012). Maximizing E-Learning to Train the 21st Century Workforce. Public Personnel Management, 31(1).
Robelen , E. (2013, April 12). Obama Budget Features New Plans for STEM, High Schools. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/
Rotherham, A. J. (2011, May 26). The Next Great Resource Shortage: U.S. Scientists. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/nation/article
Schiavelli, M. (2012). More women needed to fill STEM Jobs. Central Penn Business Journal, 78(17). Retrieved from www.CPBInow.com
Society of Women Engineers (2014, March). STEM Education Funding in the 2014 Budget. The Monthly Newsletter.
Telecommunications Reports (2013). STEM Jobs Act Fails to Gain Needed Two-Thirds Majority. TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTS, 78(19).
U.S. News (2014, March 12). Stem Solutions. Retrieved 12, 2014, from http://usnewsstemsolutions.com
World Ecnonomic Forum (2013). The Global Competitiveness Report.

References: Bidwell , A. (2014, January 21). Alaska STEM Advocate Helps Women, Minorities Succeed. U.S. News. Bidwell, A The Bureau of National Affairs (2013). Growth of STEM Jobs Drives Economy and Salary leverls. The Bureau of National Affairs, INC. Gillibrand, K., & Kennedy, J Koch, M. (2012). Workforce Development is An Energy Imperative. Economic Development Journal, 10(2). Kurtzleben , D Marcus, B. (2014, March 28). Mentors Help Create A Sustainable Pipeline For Women In STEM. Forbes. Pantazis, C Robelen , E. (2013, April 12). Obama Budget Features New Plans for STEM, High Schools. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/ Rotherham, A. J Schiavelli, M. (2012). More women needed to fill STEM Jobs. Central Penn Business Journal, 78(17). Retrieved from www.CPBInow.com Society of Women Engineers (2014, March) Telecommunications Reports (2013). STEM Jobs Act Fails to Gain Needed Two-Thirds Majority. TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTS, 78(19). U.S World Ecnonomic Forum (2013). The Global Competitiveness Report.