Although many sectors show higher unemployment rates, the current job market has plenty of available STEM jobs that exceed the number of applicants.
Unfortunately, many women and minority groups do not pursue STEM jobs due to shortcomings in K-12 education. To address this issue, former President Obama called for STEM education reform, emphasizing the need for more challenging curriculums, parental involvement, and better teacher support.
To encourage and promote STEM education, various programs and initiatives like FIRST competitions, ASME, and the Decision Point Dialogues have been created to educate pre-college students on the fun side of STEM topics while teaching essential math, science, and team-working skills.
ASME is sponsoring a web-based interactive STEM education platform for middle- and high-school students in the Washington, D.C., area and is also participating in a pilot program with leading education technology company EveryFi. By focusing on STEM education, future leaders can receive the skills necessary to compete in tomorrow’s job market.
To learn more about what ASME is doing to promote STEM education, visit www.asme.org.