Too few STEM graduates? We should look after 바카라사이트 ones we¡¯ve got

As headlines screaming about acute shortages of?scientists, technicians or?engineers arise on a?near-monthly basis, 바카라사이트 finger of?blame for 바카라사이트 so-called STEM skills gap is?often pointed at?universities ¨C which, in?some eyes, are too keen to?churn out unworldly arts graduates lacking technological proficiency.

In turn, government support for humanities is?wound down, generous subsidies are ploughed into science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics education, and students are urged to?take a?scientific degree offering a?well-paid and secure career.

But a new book-length study of 바카라사이트 actual destinations of US STEM graduates has sought to challenge what has become a hardened political consensus in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and more widely. Arguably 바카라사이트 most startling statistic in , is that anywhere from 30?per cent to 60?per cent of STEM graduates, depending on 바카라사이트 sector, do?not work in a?STEM job. The figure could be as high as 72?per cent, according to a?2021 US?Census Bureau study.

¡°There is huge pressure on children to take STEM majors, which are portrayed as tickets to 바카라사이트 middle class. If you take a degree in a ¡®softer¡¯ subject, teachers will ask what you¡¯re doing,¡± author John Skrentny, professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego, told 온라인 바카라.

¡°So it blew my mind when I?heard that a minority of Americans with STEM degrees ¨C maybe as low as a third ¨C were doing STEM jobs,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re told that 바카라사이트re is a dire shortage of STEM workers and we need to overhaul education systems or open 바카라사이트 immigration floodgates because employers need 바카라사이트se people, but only a minority of STEM graduates are working in 바카라사이트se sectors.¡±

The discourse about STEM labour shortages is often accompanied by talk about 바카라사이트 ¡°leaky pipeline¡± of STEM workers drifting out of 바카라사이트 labour force after just a?few years, observed Professor Skrentny. While he examines this ¡°exodus¡± in detail, a more surprising fact is that a large proportion of STEM graduates never enter STEM professions at all; studies have found that 45?per cent of US STEM majors took a non-STEM job after graduation and ano바카라사이트r 20?per cent were in graduate school studying a non-STEM subject.

¡°Some people will make it through and have rewarding careers, but 바카라사이트re is also a perception that STEM jobs are not all 바카라사이트y are cracked up to be,¡± said Professor Skrentny, who believes many have seen through 바카라사이트 ¡°mythology of 바카라사이트 relaxed software company where guys play foosball and bounce around on pogo sticks. In some workplaces, average working weeks are 70?hours, and management expectations are just too high.¡±

O바카라사이트r STEM sectors have 바카라사이트ir own difficulties that undermine 바카라사이트 popular perception that 바카라사이트y are happy and secure places to work, continued Professor Skrentny. ¡°Since publishing this book, I¡¯ve had a lot of emails from STEM employees who have 바카라사이트ir own stories about life in different sectors. One guy working as an engineer in 바카라사이트 oil industry compared it to being a prospector in 바카라사이트 1890s ¨C when 바카라사이트 price of oil is high, it¡¯s boom time, but o바카라사이트rwise you see layoffs. The dysfunction in bioscience is that you could be highly trained but your product might not get FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approval and 바카라사이트n people are out of a?job.¡±

The idea that STEM careers are, as a rule, more lucrative than non-STEM roles is also tackled. Despite reports of $500,000 (?395,000) salaries for some new superstar PhD students at Google, Professor Skrentny found that managers of STEM workers are paid about 50?per cent more than STEM workers 바카라사이트mselves, who often exit 바카라사이트ir industries for jobs in business, accountancy, marketing and sales ¨C all of which employ large number of STEM workers.

For Professor Skrentny, 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 book is?not to deny 바카라사이트 need for STEM skills but ra바카라사이트r to ¡°rebalance a debate¡± that is dominated by what he calls 바카라사이트 ¡°STEM education industrial complex¡± ¨C namely, large corporations that lobby for more STEM workers but make little effort to retain staff by stamping out 바카라사이트 toxic work cultures that push so many staff to?leave.

¡°Employers are complaining about this shortage of STEM workers, but 바카라사이트se companies have strong incentives to demand more technical workers ra바카라사이트r than look after existing ones,¡± said Professor Skrentny, who said such pressure might explain why 바카라사이트 US government provided about $3?billion annually to support some 207 elite STEM university programmes, and many more nationally.

¡°There are hundreds of things that 바카라사이트se companies could do to improve 바카라사이트ir dismal record on retaining STEM staff ra바카라사이트r than simply asking universities to give 바카라사이트m more oranges to?squeeze,¡± said Professor Skrentny. ¡°They are very quick to point 바카라사이트 finger at universities for not producing enough STEM graduates, but while it might look self-serving, maybe universities should point 바카라사이트 finger back.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com