ACTE's Industry Connect Blog

5 things employers can do right now to help close the STEM skills gap

By Thomas Lichtenberger, CEO, Festo Didactic, Inc.

This is the final entry in a three-part series about closing the STEM skills gap. Previous installments covered what high school teachers and colleges and universities can do right now to better prepare students for jobs of the future.

STEM-related industries are on the rise. Driven by rapid technological advancements, jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are growing faster than overall employment. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economics and Statistics Administration, STEM occupations are expected to increase by 8.9 percent from 2014 to 2024. At first glance this would seem to be good news for employers, but these statistics come with a significant drawback: Despite these growing job numbers, employers are having difficulty filling available positions due to lack of applicants and lack of requisite skills among many who do apply. The result, as reported by the Brookings Institution, is that STEM jobs remain vacant twice as long as their non-STEM counterparts. Beyond the frustration of not filling these positions quickly, prolonged vacancies also create financial losses for companies. CareerBuilder found job vacancies of three months or longer can cost companies upwards of $14,000.

So, who or what is to blame? Some in the industry point the finger at educators, claiming secondary and postsecondary education systems are not doing enough to attract students to STEM fields and not providing appropriate skills training. However, educators may be unfairly targeted, because ever-tightening school budgets can make it nearly impossible for schools to keep up with the rapid pace of change in STEM industries.

Employers need to get involved, and there are plenty of avenues for them to do so. To help close the skills gap, employers can:

1. Support local schools – There are myriad ways employers can support schools, including donating time, tools, and talent. Donating equipment to schools can help educators embrace hands-on STEM learning, which helps students to better comprehend challenging concepts. The University of Chicago found that students who engage in experiential learning understand scientific concepts more deeply and score better on science tests. By providing state-of-the-art training equipment for hands-on learning, employers can give students valuable, real-world experiences, providing them with an advantage for working in today’s factories, labs and offices. Companies can also support STEM-related student competitions by donating space, serving as judges or helping to organize such events. Other strategies for supporting schools include backing school initiatives and advocating for better funding, since STEM programs in secondary schools are often sacrificed when budgets are reduced.

2. Share skills requirements – As technologies change, so too do the requirements for STEM-related careers. To help educators remain current on required skills, employers should be sure to share these new qualifications. If communication skills are important for today’s machinists or data visualization skills are essential to being a financial analyst, educators must be kept in the loop. The good news is that educators want to work with the business community. Over half of academics (54 percent) at colleges and universities say they are adjusting their curriculum based on the demands of local employers. Sharing job requirements is a mutually beneficial measure that helps ensure a qualified applicant pool.

3. Serve as a source of expertise – Employers in any of the STEM-related fields have a depth of expertise and knowledge that educators and students alike would love to explore; yet many educators may not know how to go about accessing such a rich resource. By proactively offering their specific expertise, companies can form valuable relationships with local educators and advise on curricula or individual assignments in project- or competency-based education. Even simply speaking in classrooms allows companies to provide inspiration to students as they learn about the evolution of an industry or the “day in the life” of a particular profession. The more students learn about the exciting developments in STEM-related fields, the more impassioned they will be about pursuing such careers.

4. Organize a field trip – Just as employers visiting classrooms can have a motivating impact, hosting students on-site at a company can also foster a passion for STEM. Facilitating visits to observe industry professionals as they perform in the workplace can help students to connect their studies to positive, real-world outcomes. Field trips can be an especially powerful tool for engagement in STEM among younger students by fostering their natural curiosity.

5. Cultivate a capable pipeline – Employer involvement in STEM education can also extend beyond the classroom, creating a pipeline of skilled workers. Apprenticeships, for example, combine classroom learning with on-the-job experience, allowing students to not only apply their classroom theory at a job but also use their hands-on work experience to better understand their coursework. Employers also benefit from apprenticeships, which provide them with a low-risk return on investment in the form of future employees already up-to-speed on the required skills.

The STEM skills gap is real, and is on track to continue growing, but employers don’t have to watch passively from the sidelines. By investing time, skills, and resources to build strong STEM education-to-career pipelines, employers can be part of the solutions that close the gap. Some companies, such as Chevron, Dow Chemical and Texas Instruments, are already taking the initiative. However, true and tangible progress can only be made if more employers become proactive, ensuring not only the successful growth of STEM-related careers, but also their own continuing success as companies.  

About Festo Didactic

Festo Didactic is a leading provider of technical education equipment and training. Festo’s educational solutions evolved from its world-class automation and engineering division and integrates the latest trends in each learning system it offers. The innovative product range from Festo allows educators and trainers to equip their classroom with the technology they need, from individual workstations to complete Learning Factories, as well as training and consulting, eLearning, courseware solutions, and LMS integration. For more information visit http://www.festo-didactic.com/int-en/

Finding a Future in Agriculture

By Christine White, Director, Education Division, National FFA Organization

Each year, teachers across the nation work with students as they begin exploring careers in multiple fields of study. This exploration focuses on interests, educational requirements, individual job accountabilities and expected salaries. Often, teachers and students have overlooked careers in agriculture because of the stigma that these careers only relate to production agriculture.

Until now.

Welcome to AgExplorer, a new career exploration website launched last fall by the National FFA Organization, in partnership with Discovery Education. AgExplorer, available at AgExplorer.com, is a robust, comprehensive career resource to help students explore the broad range of careers within agriculture. 

The featured agricultural careers fit within nine exciting career focus areas: agribusiness; animal; biotechnology; environmental service; food products and processing; natural resources; plant; power, structural and technical; and agricultural education. The website features 235 unique career profiles that each include a description, typical responsibilities, job outlook, educational requirements, average salary, and links to a college and career database as well as a live feed of open jobs for each specific career. More career profiles will be added this summer.

AgCareers.com, the strategic career success partner for the National FFA Organization, worked with industry leaders to identify unduplicated careers in agriculture and developed profiles for each career. AgCareers.com also maintains a database of all two- and four-year colleges and universities that offer some type of agricultural degree; this database is linked to each career profile.

In addition to the career profiles, AgExplorer features nine videos that highlight how each of the career focus areas support the global solution to feeding the world. Students are also able to use the site to explore ideas for an experiential learning project or supervised agricultural experience.  

AgExplorer also offers the Career Finder, an interactive assessment tool designed to help students match careers with their interests. The agricultural career profiles are searchable and filterable to allow users to find careers using terms and categories that appeal to them.

Teachers and students can also take virtual field trips and hear from experts who work in the industry. Our first two field trips took students behind the scenes of the Ford Motor Company and Cargill. During the Ford field trip, students learned how a veterinarian’s vehicle was manufactured. While at Cargill, they explored a variety of diverse careers that play a key role in feeding families across the country. Virtual field trips with Syngenta and Zoetis are planned for 2017. Each virtual field trip is available on AgExplorer.com and includes educational resources to help enhance the experience in the classroom.

AgExplorer is not just for students and teachers; the site is open to anyone, particularly those not familiar with agriculture. Accessing the Career Finder requires a login; click on the Sign In/Register button to begin creating your account.

Agriculture can open a world of possibilities, and the demand for professionals in every agricultural area is high. Careers may have you using advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, raising animals, managing people or designing new products and packaging. Whether your interests lie in biology, carpentry, chemistry, computers, the environment, finances, genetics, health, nutrition, statistics or welding, there is a career in agriculture for you!  Learn more about which career may be right for you by visiting AgExplorer.com.

5 things colleges and universities can do right now to help close the STEM skills gap

By Thomas Lichtenberger, CEO, Festo Didactic, Inc.

This is part two in a three-part series about closing the STEM skills gap. Parts 1 and 3, about what high school teachers and employers, respectively, can do to prepare students for the jobs of the future, are available here and here.

Jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) offer today’s college students opportunities to enter in-demand and innovative careers. Yet not enough of them are choosing STEM as a career path, and employers are struggling to fill available jobs. At the same time, according to a recent study from the Brookings Institution, employers report that those who do apply for available STEM positions lack the specific skills needed for industry jobs. These two problems – a shortage of workers and a lack of specific skills among existing applicants – make up what is commonly known as the STEM skills gap. 

Colleges and universities have an important role to play in addressing this challenge, especially as a college degree is frequently part of hiring requirements in STEM fields. In fact, more than two-thirds of professionals working in STEM have at least a college degree, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

As higher education serves an increasing role in building the STEM employee pipeline, colleges and universities can explore new ways to teach, train and guide students in STEM fields. Here are actionable items colleges and universities can implement now to help close the STEM skills gap:

1. Connect with local industry experts ­— While STEM instructors are knowledgeable in their fields, it is important to tap outside resources, namely local industry experts, to help expose students to the skills they will need to enter the workforce upon graduation. On a smaller scale, instructors can ask employers to visit the classroom and talk with students. On a larger scale, universities and colleges should assemble a curriculum directory board of local industry professionals to weigh in on what should be taught in the classroom. Forging these connections now ensures that students will be ready to enter in-demand occupations in the future.
2. Invest in innovative technology for students — Hands-on learning is important at every stage of education. For college students, this means getting exposure to the procedures, tools and technology they will work with when they enter a STEM career. Utilizing training equipment that resembles real-world labs gives students an idea of what their future careers might encompass and the advantage they need to confidently enter the workforce. Whether it is through grants, direct funding from the school or agreements with local employers, colleges and universities need to invest in technology that will help graduates be successful when they transition into their occupations.  
3. Integrate apprenticeships — The apprenticeship model has long been a part of postsecondary education in countries such as Germany, but the United States has yet to fully embrace this valuable training technique. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 505,000 apprentices currently participate in a U.S. program, which is roughly 3 percent of the number of students enrolled in an undergraduate program. More institutions should build partnerships with employers to create apprenticeship opportunities. This will allow students majoring in STEM subjects to get early job experience and put the theory they learn in the classroom to practical use while they are still in school.
4. Emphasize soft skills — Graduates will not get placed in jobs if they are missing the skills they need to successfully navigate the workplace. Being adept in critical thinking, problem solving, and working well with others are just as important as being knowledgeable in STEM subjects. From nailing a first job interview to communicating safety protocols and managing other team members, soft skills are paramount for future STEM workers. Further, developing soft skills will prepare students to take on challenges not previously encountered such as the convergence of different disciplines with new technologies. Educators need to make sure that their curricula help build these talents alongside the technical skills and knowledge it takes to work in STEM.
5. Introduce students to “new collar” STEM jobs —It is important for instructors to expose students to the vast landscape of STEM jobs and careers. Faculty and higher education leadership can help students and their families move beyond traditional categories of blue collar and white collar positions, recognize the possibilities of growing “new collar” jobs, and identify positions that are in-demand but may not require a four-year degree. Advanced manufacturing, for example, is in great need of STEM professionals to meet the demand of today’s smart factories. However, a report from the Manufacturing Institute shows that outdated perceptions of manufacturing careers persist. It is up to college instructors, advisors and career guidance counselors to give students a full picture of the STEM job opportunities available to them.

To prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, educators and employers alike should work together to improve and strengthen the connection between education and industry. Utilizing collective resources (on and off campus) gives students real-world insight and training, which will better equip them to hit the ground running upon graduation, and, in turn, help make bigger strides in closing the STEM skills gap.

About Festo Didactic

Festo Didactic is a leading provider of technical education equipment and training. Festo’s educational solutions evolved from its world-class automation and engineering division and integrates the latest trends in each learning system it offers. The innovative product range from Festo allows educators and trainers to equip their classroom with the technology they need, from individual workstations to complete Learning Factories, as well as training and consulting, eLearning, courseware solutions, and LMS integration. For more information visit http://www.festo-didactic.com/int-en/

ACTE Partners with the Embassy of Switzerland to Explore Swiss Apprenticeship Model

On March 12, 2017, 100 CTE professionals attending the ACTE National Policy Seminar visited the Swiss Embassy in Washington D.C. to learn about Swiss apprenticeship programs. This highly popular event illustrated the strong interest the CTE community nationwide has in learning about effective and innovative CTE programs, no matter their country of origin.

The event began by detailing how two Swiss companies, Buhler and Zurich Insurance, have established apprenticeship programs in the U.S. Simon Marti, the Head of Science, Technology, and Higher Education at the embassy, described how approximately 40 percent of Swiss companies offer apprenticeships, and how these apprenticeships typically span two or three years, with students entering at ages 15 or 16 after receiving career counseling. Apprentices often earn a two-year vocational certificate, which qualifies them for employment but also puts them on the road to a three- or four-year federal diploma or vocational baccalaureate if they wish to continue their education.

Presenter Daniel Roth, an instructor at Buhler’s Apprenticeship Academy in Minnesota, explained how Buhler began their American apprenticeship program due to an inability to find employees with the necessary skills to fill open positions. Apprentices in this program work full time, receive a salary and benefits, and participate in a retirement program. Upon completion, many apprentices choose to work for Buhler, but receive a certificate that qualifies them to work elsewhere as well.

Current apprentice Isa Brady stressed the many opportunities the program offers to learn both hard and soft skills. She also alluded to the variety of paths that will be open to her within Buhler when she completes her apprenticeship, which is advantageous for her and others who are learning specific technical skills but have not yet decided on their exact career paths. She then expressed how her experiences as a female student interested in welding have demonstrated to her how important it is for educators and counselors not to stereotype their students. Brady noted that the courses she will take during her apprenticeship will position her to obtain a robotics degree if she wishes.

The final speakers were Jill Lutz from Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, who described how her institution collaborated with businesses and the organization Apprenticeship 2000 to connect students with apprenticeship opportunities, Meghan Wills of the National Governors Association, who provided an overview of the programs that fund apprenticeship in the U.S., and Caroline King of Washington STEM, who highlighted the work related to apprenticeships that is taking place in her home state.

Following the program, attendees visited the nearby residence of Swiss Ambassador Martin Dahinden. The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the dedication of the CTE community. ACTE president Lorri Carlile shared remarks about the importance of learning from the Swiss model and presented the Ambassador with several gifts. Attendees enjoyed drinks and dinner compliments of the embassy. The Swiss experience and early efforts to replicate that model in the U.S. demonstrate that establishment of such educational pathways is possible, and that there are many opportunities for those seeking to strengthen career and technical education programs through similar means.

This blog is based on a full article that is available on ACTE's website. A PDF version perfect for handouts can be downloaded here.

5 things high school teachers can do right now to help close the STEM skills gap

By Thomas Lichtenberger, CEO, Festo Didactic, Inc.

This is part one in a three-part series about closing the STEM skills gap. Parts 2 and 3, on what colleges and universities and employers can do, respectively, to prepare students for the jobs of the future, can be found here and here.

The jobs of the future are in STEM! Today’s students are the workforce of tomorrow, and preparing for the diverse and growing set of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers is important to their future success. There are approximately 26 million STEM jobs when positions in manufacturing, construction, and other skilled labor positions are included, according to the Brookings Institution. However, as today’s employers struggle to fill the available STEM jobs they have, there is growing concern over a widening STEM skills gap.

This is the first installment of a three-part series that examines what can be done right now to decrease this gap. Over the course of the series, I’ll highlight realistic steps secondary and postsecondary educators and employers alike can take. This series begins with suggestions for high school teachers.

High school provides a rich opportunity to instill an early passion for STEM in all students. In a survey conducted by Microsoft, over half of all STEM college students credited a pre-college teacher or class for sparking their interest in STEM. Exploring STEM education can not only arm high school students with valuable skills that will serve them well in college, career, or any path in life, but also help them understand the world around them. To help more high school students learn the STEM skills they need, teachers can:

1. Bring STEM to life – There are many benefits to learning by doing. STEM education lends itself uniquely to hands-on, project-based learning because it is guided by the engineering design process. In this process students identify problems, develop multiple solutions, select one to build and test, and keep revising the solution until it works. With this approach teachers can present real life challenges that involve an integrated STEM approach, combining all four disciplines to show students how each topic connects to each other inside and outside of the classroom.

2. Foster a love for STEM in all students – Students who are girls, African American, Hispanic or Latino are often underrepresented in STEM careers. But these students often have a high degree of interest in STEM as teenagers. For example, a survey by the Girl Scout Research Initiative reports 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM. Engaging these students in STEM classes can help them close the STEM skills gap as well as the earnings gap with their white, male classmates.

3. Discuss all STEM career paths – Most teachers think STEM careers are only jobs in coding, financial analysis, or traditional engineering. In reality, STEM careers include a much wider variety of paths. As technology has advanced in industries from manufacturing to healthcare to aeronautics, strong STEM skills have become important in even more careers. The postsecondary requirements of these careers also vary. Some STEM careers require a doctorate, while others need an associate’s degree or a certificate. An early introduction to STEM can help support students in finding the right career path.

4. Advocate for more teacher training – Stronger teacher training in STEM subjects is essential to ensuring students are developing the skills they need for future jobs. STEM education, particularly aspects of technology and engineering, are not part of the traditional teacher training. As the importance of students having STEM skills increases, providing teachers more opportunities to deepen their own existing skills through quality professional development and updated curriculum is critical. With the support of parents and other community members, teachers can advocate for greater professional development and continuing education in STEM.

5. Connect students to professionals in STEM careers – STEM careers are changing rapidly, often with the help of swiftly advancing technology. Arranging for students to meet STEM professionals inside or outside of the classroom can help them better understand these advancements and how they relate to what they are learning. Taking students on field trips to see the laboratories, offices, or smart factories where STEM professionals work or inviting engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and technologists to speak to students or participate in a specific project or lesson are all practical ways of building connections to STEM for students.

Job growth in STEM fields is expected to continue to outpace growth in other fields. While STEM teaches students how to engage in critical thinking and creative problem solving that will benefit them in careers in all sectors and fields, it will be especially vital knowledge for students preparing for the cross-functional, technical jobs of the future. Addressing the STEM skills gap now is the best way to ensure that our students are prepared for tomorrow. 

About Festo Didactic

Festo Didactic is a leading provider of technical education equipment and training. Festo’s educational solutions evolved from its world-class automation and engineering division and integrates the latest trends in each learning system it offers. The innovative product range from Festo allows educators and trainers to equip their classroom with the technology they need, from individual workstations to complete Learning Factories, as well as training and consulting, eLearning, courseware solutions, and LMS integration. For more information visit http://www.festo-didactic.com/int-en/