Bringing awareness to the importance of STEM programs, and how the skills they teach students may encourage the next generation of manufacturers.
CERRITOS, California- November 8, 2017- The U.S. Department of Education created the STEM program several years ago to bolster global leadership through increased study of science, technology, engineering, and math subjects in K-12 schools. The goal of the program is to help students throughout the U.S. develop essential working skills such as problem solving, the ability to gather and analyze evidence, interpretation of information, and more. To celebrate STEM and bring awareness to these programs, National STEM Day is celebrated on November 8th each year across the U.S.
While STEM students will have the opportunity to join any industry after graduation, a number of opportunities lie in the growing industrial and manufacturing industries. Estimates show roughly 3.5 million jobs will be created over the next ten years, however current projections estimate that 2 million of those will not be filled due to a growing skills gap. Additionally, 80% of the manufacturing workforce needs skilled or highly skilled individuals to fill job roles, which STEM or Career Technical Education (CTE) students could potentially fill after graduation. Furthermore, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), every dollar spent in the manufacturing industry results in $1.89 put back into the U.S. economy. Thus, STEM students who pursue careers in the manufacturing field will also help support the U.S. economy as a whole.
Furthermore, in a study conducted by Georgetown University examining online job ads, STEM occupations accounted for roughly 28% of college online ads, and grew twice as fast as all other job ad fields. With the need for STEM educated students growing, one of the best ways to support these programs is to get involved at the local level. Active participation supporting STEM programs can range from speaking to students on career days, sponsoring events, or offering internships and job shadowing opportunities. Toolots for example, is proud to offer students summer internships and to have sponsored events encouraging innovation and education about careers in manufacturing throughout our local community and ABC Unified School District.
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