The Future of STEM Based Jobs

Within the next decade, approximately 80 percent of all jobs are going to be in the STEM field. Despite the rise in demand for these jobs, degrees in these career paths are significantly lower than degrees associated with social sciences, especially for students of color. 

By 2025, there will be approximately 3.5 million STEM jobs across the United States that need to be filled. Of these 3.5 million, 2 million will not be filled due to a lack of qualified candidates.

According to Recruiting Daily writer Ben Weiner, “In many cases, younger generations – especially females – are losing interest in pursuing careers in STEM before reaching their teens.”

The key to increasing interest and success in STEM amongst youth is creating quality education with a focus around science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students need to be instilled with the confidence to tackle complex STEM issues and, in turn, learn to love these subjects. 

Another thing that education systems and families need to do is inform their students and children about the future of STEM. These jobs provide a stable living, with most of them paying about the national hourly wage. They are also growing rapidly. This will make it easier for the child to find a job after college and begin their professional career. 

“STEM jobs are good jobs. These are jobs that command of good salary, that can help people raise a family, lift up the community,” manager of the Toyota USA Foundation Michael Medalla said.

Studies show that creating an interest in a subject at a young age sets the child up for a lifelong affinity with the subject. But how do you get K-6 kids to want to sit down and learn about these complex topics?

Kids are always on the move. Their constant energy makes it important for educators to incorporate movement into their daily school routine. Schools are often hesitant to carve out time for activity, despite there being evidence of its effectiveness. 

Associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School Dr. John Ratey said that activity breaks during the school day have a positive impact on a child’s brain and create more effective learners in the classroom. 

One in every four elementary school aged kid participates in recreational sports and even those who do not still enjoy participating in activities and games.  STEM Sports® focuses on allowing students to be active learners and engage in the subject matter rather than lecture or textbook style learning. 

The STEM and sports alliance is one that has been proven effective while also appealing to the students who are participating in the modules. STEM Sports® offers six different STEM Sports® curriculum kits: STEM Basketball, STEM Football, STEM Soccer, STEM Volleyball, and STEM Multi-Sport. Each kit is equipped with all of the materials necessary to implement the curriculum immediately and give students a hands-on learning experience. 

In 2017, a study by the ADHD Resource Center revealed that 6.4 million kids between four and 17 have ADHD. STEM Sports® reveals technologically advanced and effective learning curriculum focused on childhood learning through active learning. Our programs focus on using sports as a way to peak children’s interest in the science that goes into these athletics. 

As education professionals, it is important that we accommodate the needs and interests of every individual student. Teacher Mathew Poland affirmed STEM Sports® effectiveness in saying, “The STEM Sports® program makes a great connection for the kids. You can tell students about addition or subtraction but once you start giving them something they can attach to, that they care about, like sports, then they really get into it.” 

STEM Sports® kits are also effective in an after-school and summer camp setting. Because of its active nature, it is a good way to implement STEM learning into a fun environment. Joy Schwartz said, “I hosted two basketball/STEM camps this summer and used most of the kit with a couple of additions! I loved it! The kids loved it. We did STEM in the morning, ate lunch and then played basketball all afternoon! It was my favorite STEM camp! Addressed the “whole” child mentally and physically!!” 

The “whole” child is always the focus at STEM Sports®. With science, technology, engineering and math education at the forefront, STEM Sports® is devoted to bettering the child on a variety of different levels. Our newest STEM teaching manuals include a mindfulness section that prepares both the teacher and the student about being aware of how STEM and sports collides and that all students are able to achieve success…no matter athlete or mathlete! We also incorporate movement, which as touched on above, will help to improve material retention.  

There are currently 600,000 unfilled jobs in the technology field; the United States Department of Labor predicts that this number will nearly double in the coming years. The cliché that children are the future fits here wholly. 

It is important to prepare students to fill these jobs as more appear and older generations begin to retire. The first step is the education system and their increasing focus on improving STEM literacy for students K-12. 

With our kits, we set these children up at a young age to discover their love for science, technology, engineering and math that they can continue on after elementary school and into their professional careers. A main goal for educators needs to be putting students in a position to succeed in STEM majors in college and having the confidence to pursue these degrees. This starts with active learning, fun activities and quality education for all STEM subjects.