STEM Opportunities

Environmental & Science Education
Edward Hessler

STEM Jobs and Careers

See page for author [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

I'm a very irregular listener of NPR's "The Takeaway" but listened to most of it on November 18.  One segment in particular captured my attention. It is one in a continuing series, "The Community College Challenge." A while ago there was a feature on the  Lake Area Technical Institute. It is an amazing place and the energy of the students, faculty and president was visible.

I don't recall hearing anything about STEM but I heard a lot about STEM related careers as well as about careers that support STEM and are important in communities everywhere. Programs at this college lead to great jobs, jobs that demand and make use of minds and hands. We can't do without these kinds of jobs/careers.


STEM Workers with less education

By National Science Foundation
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/nsf_beta/6207539553/)
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

The segment reminded me of a report on STEM education, a side of STEM too often ignored and overlooked. Eyes turn too quickly to 4-year programs, graduate and professional schooling as though this is the only kind of STEM education to which to aspire. Nothing wrong with this of course but there is so much more to STEM than this. A year or so ago, the Brookings Institution published a welcome report on "the strong potential workforce of those with less education but substantial STEM skills."

Take a look.