Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs are the base of the economy of the future. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in these fields are projected to grow rapidly between 2012 and 2022, the result being nearly 10 million new jobs. With this in mind, it is no wonder that education leaders across the globe are fervently advocating for increased curriculum related to this field in all grade levels.
The STEM Education Advocacy Group, a global science advocacy think tank, is one of the many groups working to “guide and empower science education initiatives and organization around the world through analysis, advising, and advocacy.” As a group, they have recently visited American middle schools to talk to students, and encourage them to take up an interest in science, visited middle schools in several parts of Kenya, and did a good work of raising funds for the Advancing Girl’s Education in Africa (AGE) organization. In the past year, they have been very active in creating publications that advocate for a global STEM education initiative, and published 7 articles, 3 letters, and 1 major report in addition to publications from previous years.
Another such advocacy group, the STEM Education coalition has also published many reports advocating for more focus on STEM based learning. The core principles of the STEM Education Coalition include making STEM education a national priority, increasing the “capacity of the STEM workforce pipeline to prepare more students for...the jobs of the future,” informing policymakers from local, to state and national levels about the importance of a STEM based education regarding the economy and national security, and advocating a bipartisan, evidence based approach to create policies to meet these goals.One of their many publications, the “Harris Opinion Study on STEM Education,” focuses on the importance of the early introduction of STEM related subjects in elementary school and beyond. “More than half...of STEM college students say that, before going to college, a teacher or class got them interested in STEM,” the report reads. The report goes on to give details about the lack of preparation for these fields given in primary and secondary schools. Students who were surveyed told the organization that they felt a more in depth curriculum, combined with more opportunities for hands on learning and application of theories, would have better prepared them to study STEM fields in college.
With so many people currently unemployed, or under-employed, it is becoming increasingly evident that schools need to focus on training in these fields in order to boost the overall economy. According to Citizen Schools, an organization focused on closing the opportunity gap, there are 1.4 STEM jobs for every unemployed person. The STEM Advocacy Coalition is focusing on creating opportunities for training and education in these fields in Newark, New Jersey. SAC is using mentorship, apprenticeship, internships, and job shadowing to reach their goals. While they may just be covering a small area, their approach could be applied to any district to create the training so desperately needed to revitalize the global economy.