In order that our nation remains competitive we must ensure that we are constantly producing a world class workforce. That workforce must have both the education and skills set to perform operations that increasingly require the use of math and science. Therefore a 21st century workforce must obtain both the education and credentials to be successful in the workplace. But despite the current and previous emphasis on math and science proficiency the national rates of recruitment and retention in these fields remain at lower than desired levels. Jobs and career pathways in fields such as manufacturing and similar industrial settings will increasing rely on individuals with proficiency in math and science to operate and maintain complex machinery and perform tasks with a high degree of reliability and precision. Therefore, we must design and deploy workforce systems with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or STEM. Many of these fields generate high quality jobs and career pathways which are sustainable (good wages and benefits). Unfortunately our nation lags well behind other countries despite our continued economic strength and advantage. This remains particularly true for girls, women and people of color. Recently the White House issued a report, Women and Girls of Color: Addressing Challenges and Expanding Opportunity which provide several recommendations on the priority of inclusion of women and girls in STEM fields. Based on these recommendations several national initiatives have been created including the National Girls Collaborative Project and the STEM Connector affiliated Million Women Mentors project. In addition, organization professional women associations are primed to be conducts of this information to specific audiences. These types of organizations are both well positioned and have the membership and infrastructure to deliver instruction as well as coach and mentor large numbers of the population. whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/11/13/expanding-opportunity-and-addressing-unique-challenges-facing-women-and-girls-color
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 03:16:40 +0000
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