Careers in engineering encompass a variety of occupations that spur the creation of new ideas, advance technology, and are essential to a globally competitive economy and national defense. Increasing the number of Americans studying and pursuing careers in engineering is essential to the preceding points. Shortages in meeting employment demands exist in the number of U.S.
The U.S. must continue to develop and support an innovation economy that, “collaborates with allies and partners, improves STEM education, draws on an advanced technical workforce, and invests in early-stage research and development,” according to the latest U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS).4 Further, the NSS asserts that the nation must continue to be the destination of choice for the “innovative and the inventive, the brilliant and the bold.”
The 2019 expert panel agreed on two long-term trends: rethinking how institutions work, and modularized and disaggregated degrees. These long-term trends indicate an expected evolution in the way higher education approaches its mission, as well as a trend toward increased student control over individual learning pathways.
The Global Challenges are transnational in nature and transinstitutional in solution. They cannot be addressed by any government or institution acting alone. They require collaborative action among governments, international organizations, corporations, universities, NGOs, and creative individuals. Although listed in sequence, Challenge 1 on sustainable development and climate change is no more or less important than Challenge 15 on global ethics.
Overall, the study finds that many fields that support a significant number of U.S. jobs see little CTE course-taking in high school, suggesting the potential for greater alignment in these areas.
Students are also more likely to take courses in fields that support more local jobs, but less likely to do so when those jobs are high-paying, suggesting that today’s CTE is connecting kids with jobs that are plentiful but low-paying by industry standards.
This digest highlights key statistics drawn from a variety of data sources. Data and figures in this digest are organized into the following topical areas: enrollment, field of degree, employment status, and occupation, including academic careers. Surveys conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation provided a large portion of the data used in this report. NCSES has a central role in the collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of objective data on the science and engineering enterprise.
The Panel recognizes that the Department of Defense (DoD) and industry have different business models, which at times may be in conflict. In exploring common ground, the Panel members received the testimony of many defense and industry officials, reviewed the history of relevant legislation and identified “tension points” of disagreement between the Government and industry. Following extensive deliberations, Panel members (listed in Appendix B) prepared white papers to address the tension points and to make recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that recognize and
Chinese government makes their goal clear. China aims to become the global leader in innovation and manufacturing. This would be an unacceptable outcome for American workers. To drive our own development in a competitive, global economy, we must prioritize the high-wage industries of the 21st century, to the benefit of American businesses, workers, and their families.
The Federal Government has a key role to play in furthering STEM education by working in partnership with stakeholders at all levels and seeking to remove barriers to participation in STEM careers, especially for women and other underrepresented groups . Accordingly, this report sets out a Federal strategy for the next five years based on a Vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.
In the 2018 Skills Gap in Manufacturing Study, the authors find that the talent shortage is accentuated by two factors: a prolonged economic expansion that has increased the number of job openings in manufacturing and projected growth in baby boomer retirement. Although these two factors are expected to lead to more than 4.6 million manufacturing jobs over the next decade, the authors’ research finds that fewer than half of these jobs are likely to be filled.
