Communications of the ACM
Engineering the Next Generation of STEM
National Instruments' Nicole Richard mentors elementary school students.
Credit: EDN
The engineering industry is concerned about the lack of interest in STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) studies and careers from the youth of the United States. The fear is that, as baby boomers exit the work force, there will be too few engineers to replace them. The problem has a high level of public acknowledgment, with President Obama commenting on the need for STEM graduates in his January 24 State of the Union address.
Despite these concerns, more undergraduate students graduated in 2011 than in 2010 with engineering degrees in all of the eight top engineering disciplines. Yet, at a year-over-year increase of only 5,071 new U.S. bachelor's degrees in engineering in 2011, the numbers are low, especially when you compare them with estimates from the President's Council of Advisors in Science and Technology describing a need for 1 million more STEM graduates over the next decade.
From EDN
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