The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the U.S. workforce will continue to experience a need for workers trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the future. Continuously advancing technology requires that employees learn new skills. While some jobs will require training that can be achieved in secondary, vocational and undergraduate schools, others will require expertise in research and innovation beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Fortunately, this trend in employment opportunities overlaps with another trend: recent statistics show that many students who receive graduate degrees in STEM have an interest in careers outside of the academy. The likelihood that a significant proportion of graduate students will be employed outside academia creates a conundrum: What is the role of the academy in offering training for students for employment in industry, government or non-profit sectors outside of the academy? What are the tools available to faculty members to provide training that they themselves may not have experienced? In what ways do the needs of the workforce intersect with the curriculum of graduate education?
Expanding opportunities for more students to take advantage of graduate research internships might address future workforce needs in the U.S. and alleviate some of the pressure that faculty face to supplement their rigorous research training with the teaching of, and exposure to, technical and professional career skills and opportunities.
Underrepresented minorities are a critical domestic population to consider for staffing these future U.S. STEM jobs, and all domestic graduate students, especially underrepresented minorities and women, should consider internship programs.
Workforce of the Future
The recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January 2017 publication, “STEM Occupations: Past, Present, and Future,” reports that there are over 8.6 million STEM jobs in the current workforce.
This publication also projects the above-average growth of these jobs when compared with other occupations. Examining the future of individual STEM fields, the bureau also predicts growth of over 28 percent in jobs in the mathematical sciences in the decade between 2014 and 2024.
