Leading corporations recognize the ineffectiveness of short-term strategies in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. We must prepare our population for a future when nearly every job will require a higher level of science, math and technological skill. Making investments in preparing students who have not traditionally entered these careers - girls, minorities, and children growing up in low-income households is not philanthropy ... it is just good business sense.
The Third Industrial Revolution
We are living in the early stages of what has been called the Third Industrial Revolution. The innovations being developed by professionals with advanced STEM skills are being integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives. These innovations are rewriting long-standing assumptions about the state of the environment, the workings of the human body, and the rules of commerce.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall STEM employment "to grow about 13 percent between 2012 and 2022. This is faster than the "11-percent rate of growth projected for all occupations over the decade". Technical skills, however, are not all that is needed. The majority of companies identify 21st Century Skills - the skills that allow workers to adapt to change, think creatively, and be committed to life-long learning - as even more critical to their bottom-line. Industry leaders also understand that the face of the US workforce is changing. The next generation of workers will be represented by more women, the children of low-income families, and minorities. These are the people who have been historically underrepresented in the jobs that require STEM skills.
Opportunity to Lead
The Patrick Spann Foundation sees these events as opportunities for individuals to improve their futures and the state of their communities. We recognize, however, that the barriers are high for these individuals. We are making an investment by supporting strategies that prepare promising female, minority, and low-income students for leadership roles in the STEM revolution.