STEM Workforce

Human capital is at the core of America’s defense technology advantage.  It takes years for an individual’s technical capacity to mature, and as such the national security workforce of the future is perhaps establishing their educational foundation now in elementary school. Industry, academia, and levels of government should partner, especially in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to create the conditions to best educate and train Americans for the jobs of tomorrow. STEM disciplines are critical element of U.S. educational and workforce strategy to sustain economic competitiveness and support our national defense, yet STEM participation among American students is insufficient to meet industry’s needs. According to some studies, almost one-third of U.S. manufacturing companies responding to a recent survey say they are suffering from some level of skills shortages. The benefits of a STEM career should be expressed to students, and civil society, the government, and industry should support programs that reward students with enrichment in the STEM disciplines.