STEM And The Global Economy

In 2005 American 8th graders placed 12th in math and science skills compared to other countries around the world. Around this same time, the U.S. patent office granted 51% of its patents to foreign nationals and companies and only 49% to Americans.

According to Chief Spokesman for Intel, Howard High “We go where the smart people are. Now our business operations are two-thirds in the U.S. and one-third overseas. But that ratio will flip over the next 10 years.” This all culminated to one newfound need to focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) careers and curricula in America. 86% of Americans believe that an increase in STEM-trained workers will be vital to maintaining the nation's place in the global economy.

While undergraduate degrees in STEM fields grew by 43% between 2010-2016 and 75% of college grads majored in a STEM-related field in 2018 2.4 million STEM-related positions still went unfilled in 2018. 92% of employers believe their need for employees with technical skills is continuing to increase and 74% say they are having a harder time finding the right talent. Teaching students the fundamentals of STEM and to adapt, learn and solve problems will be essential to the future of the STEM workforce and to America’s place in the global economy. To read more about the need for STEM in schools read on to the infographic below.