The Missing Link: What Roles Does STEM Education Play in Creating Jobs and Invigorating the Economy?
By Ron Bennett
Surfing the web, reading the paper and watching the news, we see and hear a lot of interest in STEM education in the K-16 school system. There is even more interest in the economy and creating jobs. But we don’t often hear discussions of the connection between the two. They are inextricably linked, and it’s time we examined how.
Surveys of manufacturers over the past two years in Minnesota have identified several key concerns. They consistently lament that the skill level of employees is not where it needs to be to be competitive in the global economy. The areas of concern most frequently mentioned include analytical/critical thinking, problem solving, innovation & creativity, statistical process control, finance, automation. How do these skills relate to STEM?
STEM is the collective acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is usually thought of as curriculum oriented learning in K-12 and post secondary education. It is not often connected to incumbent worker learning. It should be. Of the workers who will be employed in 2020, about 67% are in the workforce today. These individuals need skill enhancement as much as the new workers entering the workforce. So how does STEM fit in?
Science is the process of discovery, of using the scientific method of logical analysis and critical thinking to solve problems. The scientific method is most often thought of as applied to specific subject areas like physics and biology, but in the broader sense it is the process of critical thinking applied to all topics that is universally useful.
Engineering is the process of creativity that leads to innovation. It uses science as a basis and applies these scientific principles to real problems and opportunities to create new and innovative solutions.
Technology is tools. Technology is the product of engineering. Today we often think of technology as related to computers, but in fact technology is any tool that extends the capability of humans to accomplish work. A shoe horn is technology, as is a hammer. It is the process of applying innovative thinking using fundamental scientific principles that creates technologies.
Mathematics is the language of science, engineering and technology. It is also the language of finance, economics and sports. How would you plan your household budget if you didn’t consider income and expenditures numerically? How would you improve a manufacturing process if you didn’t understand statistical process control? How interesting would it be to watch a baseball game if no score were kept, or you didn’t know the batting average of a player?
Industry is calling for improved skills in workers to meet the global competitive challenge. The skills needed to create the competitive workforce of the future – critical thinking, creativity, innovation, understanding finance and automation, the ability to interpret written documents and turn them into products – are the same skills learning through STEM education.
And that’s why a strong STEM is needed for a blossoming economy.
