What Do STEM Education and Your Next Trip Have in Common? More Than You Might Think

STEM education is a lot like planning a trip. First, you need to determine your specific destination. Once you decide where you’re going, you have to determine how you’ll get there. Finally, you’ll want to think about any special considerations that can ensure your trip is as safe and comfortable as possible.

Similarly, before students can choose a STEM career as their professional destination, they have to learn about STEM topics and specific STEM jobs that exist (as well as their associated career and financial benefits). For example, STEM jobs pay more than double the average salary of non-STEM jobs, and offer promising opportunities for economic mobility, particularly for underrepresented students. Once students are interested in STEM jobs, they must understand what pathways are available, such as certification programs or four-year degrees, for achieving certain STEM careers.

What would it take to lead students from awareness of STEM careers to securing a STEM job? Early exposure and education is key.

Students who don’t receive early exposure to STEM topics or education about STEM careers are much less likely to aspire to a STEM job or declare a STEM major. According to a recent study, only 29% of Gen Z youth indicate a STEM occupation as their top career choice, even though 75% are interested in STEM jobs. Furthermore, students are more than twice as likely to aspire to a STEM job or choose a STEM major if they have been exposed to four or five STEM topics than if they haven’t been exposed to any STEM topics (or only exposed to one). Students with greater exposure to STEM topics were also more than five times as likely to obtain a STEM job.

While initial exposure remains an important first step, ongoing immersion and education through hands-on STEM activities with real world applications must be further prioritized. In the same survey of Gen Z youth, 82% reported that their school offers STEM classes with real-world applications in math and science, and 72% reported having the chance to participate in STEM-related extracurricular activities. Fewer students, however, had practiced hands-on skills important for many STEM jobs. For example, only 29% of students had built electrical circuits. Moreover, the majority of Gen Z high schoolers (roughly two thirds) reported they had not learned about core STEM-related topics such as hydraulics, 3D design, and cybersecurity. Research also shows that Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to earn STEM degrees, contributing to their underrepresentation in the STEM workforce. Creating access to equitable and hands-on STEM experiences is essential for addressing this exposure gap. 

With this in mind, here are our top three recommendations for K-12 education leaders and administrators seeking to educate the next STEM workforce:

STEM careers benefit students, and the world needs more workers in STEM roles. Here are a few ways to align these priorities for best outcomes.

1. Prioritize Career-Connected Learning: Industry-aligned pathways are one of the most effective ways to future-proof STEM skills. Take, for example, the expansion of the quantum computing industry, which offers an average salary of $125,000. The industry features jobs that require a community college or trade certificate, like fabricating or welding computer frames and soldering wires. But just offering quality jobs isn’t enough—people need to know about the opportunity. To that end, companies involved with quantum computing are working to teach students and parents about quantum computing and demonstrate that these careers are within reach (the Quantum Tech Hub in Colorado is a good example).

When schools and employers partner together to design youth apprenticeship programs, internship experiences, and short-term learning experiences like bootcamps and microcredentials, students are more likely to have opportunities to enter into STEM-based careers. Collaboration also helps ensure that STEM training will lead to quality jobs, and illustrates the workforce’s commitment to hiring individuals with in-demand skills.

         We recommend:

• Supporting the design and launch of future work-aligned high schools with strong STEM-focused programs, work-based learning components, and dual enrollment options
• Developing programs in partnership with industry associations, community colleges, and other higher education institutions to ensure they meet the needs of both students and employers
• Offering teacher training opportunities about new and complex STEM curricula

2. Highlight Pathways for Attaining STEM Jobs: Historically, many STEM jobs required bachelor's degrees, but the landscape is changing. There is a growing recognition of the diverse pathways into the STEM workforce, including associate degrees, certifications, technical training programs, and on-the-job learning. A key component of STEM education is teaching students about the different pathways they can take to acquire a STEM job. It’s important to make it clear that there are plenty of opportunities to achieve a good STEM career without a traditional four-year college degree. 

3. Create Healthy Education-Industry Partnerships: To effectively prepare students for the future STEM job market, it is crucial to align K-12 education with emerging workforce needs. It is essential that K-12 stakeholders tailor their curricula, programming (both academic and extracurricular), and support systems to meet the needs of emerging industries. However, achieving this alignment is no easy task. School boards, state education departments, individual school leadership teams, parents, teachers, staff, and students must all be brought on board, and schools must have the capabilities and capacity to prepare students for what employers need.

Additionally, employers must better translate the language of business into the language of education. Talent pipelines and school years do not always align, and the timelines for developing, testing, launching, and scaling new academic programs often do not match the research and development timelines of new technologies.

But when executed effectively, collaborations between education systems and employers benefit both parties. By working together, educators can create and maintain curricula that support students in engaging with work-based learning, while employers invest in their future talent pool. To further advance these partnerships, a state’s STEM strategy must be executed at the local and state levels. This includes collaboration not only with schools and school boards, but also with state-level actors such as governors, legislatures, and education agencies. It takes a state-level strategy to get employers engaged at scale. Broad participation in the STEM strategy can help ensure these programs’ success through complimentary state policies and additional resources. 

Aspiring for Accessible and Effective STEM Education for All

Especially as the world faces complex global challenges such as worsening climate change, growing health disparities, and increasing economic inequality, the importance of preparing students for future STEM job markets cannot be overstated. Just like planning a trip, it requires education and preparation early and often. 

We work with education organizations to turn ambitious goals into everyday reality for the students and residents they serve. Connect with us here to learn how we can support your organization’s top educational priorities.

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Banner photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash.com