Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) provide young people with the opportunity to have more and better opportunities. In the United States, STEM workers represent around 24 percent of the workforce, so the goal is to create more spaces for young students in these areas.
STEM is the acronym in English that refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and proposes the interdisciplinary integration of these disciplines of technology and science.
In 2021, there were 34.9 million people employed in STEM occupations, out of a total of 146.4 million people between the ages of 18 and 74 in the workforce; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers are among the highest-paying jobs in the United States, allowing for more and better opportunities for advancement.
Workers in these fields earn more than $100,000 a year, compared with the national median salary of $46,000, said Dr. Louis Freedberg, interim CEO of EdSource during a news conference held by Ethnic Media Services.
The United States is the world leader in research and development, but faces a critical domestic workforce shortage, and the gaps are critical for students of color and girls, as well as low-income children.
It is important for young people to know the options available to them, as well as for parents to encourage them to train in a career in this field, which undoubtedly opens up many professional possibilities.
Freedberg commented that women are underrepresented in these careers, as it seems that the idea of pursuing them is only for men, which is why it is necessary to encourage women to do so in order to gain ground in this regard.
Dr. Darin Brawley, superintendent of the Compton Unified School District, said it is important to give young people tools and opportunities because they will sustain the economy in the future, and they can also work in schools, so they continue to contribute to the country.
"Ninety-eight percent of parents want their children to have access to STEM because they know the impact it would have on their children's lives and their future," Brawley added.
Ten years ago, when students graduated from high school, only 21 percent of them were pursuing a STEM career, unlike today the number rises to 52 percent, a great achievement in the academic field.
Daniel Voloch, director of Girls Who Code Programs, explained that women are not as present in these careers, since only 26 percent of those working in STEM are women.
To this end, through their various programs, they bring girls and women of different ages closer to integrating themselves into science and technology, with the aim of giving them that first encounter and feeling capable of entering this world.
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