According to the STEM Education Coalition, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education must become a national priority. That means reforms in education, policies to drive innovation, and federal and state funding.
TechVision21 agrees. That’s why we help large science, engineering, and technical organizations assess their science and engineering workforce needs, their workforce development initiatives, and then optimize their strategies and programs to recruit, retain and develop a world-class science and engineering workforce.
TechVision21 uses a proprietary methodology to characterize the current STEM workforce and future needs, examine labor market trends and STEM degree production that could affect the supply of STEM professionals, and identify technological trends that could affect the STEM skill base.
This assessment serves as a knowledge base from which companies can determine whether their portfolio of STEM programs are adequate to meet their projected needs.
We agree that education is closely linked with our nation’s economic prosperity in the modern global economy driving both innovation and discovery.
The Triangle Coalition for STEM Education recently held its 13th Annual STEM Education Conference in Washington, DC. Einstein Fellows, educators and stakeholders gathered to discuss a wide range of STEM Education issues. Political and education policy experts were on hand to explain policymakers’ recent attempts to expand education policy to incentivize STEM programs.
Camsie A. McAdams, Senior Advisor on STEM Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, U.S. Department of Education provided an update on the administration’s plan and federal budget provisions that would consolidate most STEM programs currently spread across 13 federal agencies. The plan would consolidate federal STEM education program into efforts at three agencies: the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution, while increasing overall funding by 6 percent, to $3 billion.
The plan has drawn negative reactions from many in the STEM education community. The Senate Appropriations Committee essentially rejected the White House plan in a report accompanying the $52 billion in spending recommendations for FY 2014, stating concerns that the proposal had not been thoroughly vetted with the education community or congressional authorizing committees and lacked thorough guidance and input from Federal agencies affected by the proposal.
McAdams explained that the White House was unable to present the consolidation plan in its entirety before the budget was released. Many of the concerns have been addressed in the President’s detailed plan and once presented, concerns and opposition will be assuaged.
The White House has publicly stated that this “Administration recognizes that STEM education must be a national priority if we are to continue to succeed in an increasingly global economy. America needs effective and accomplished STEM educators to engage and inspire our youth in the classroom. At the same time, our teachers must provide students with opportunities for critical thinking and deep learning”.
“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.” First Lady Michelle Obama
- STEM education must be elevated as a national priority as reflected through education reforms, policies to drive innovation, and federal and state spending priorities.
- STEM education is closely linked with our nation’s economic prosperity in the modern global economy; strong STEM skills are a central element of a well-rounded education and essential to effective citizens.