

However, far from enough students are exiting our education system prepared to pursue careers in STEM. Colorado is a hub for a variety of STEM-related industries including companies in the information technology sector, aerospace engineering, defense specialists, and healthcare. This is roughly double the average starting salary in Colorado.Ĭolorado boasts the most per capita listings of STEM jobs in the nation. For example, a Colorado graduate with a computer science degree can expect to earn $95,000 upon graduation.

Not only is the job market more substantial in STEM fields, but these jobs also tend to offer higher pay. In 2015, graduates with degrees in math and science had twice as many jobs to apply for than students with other majors. A growing list of jobs require math and science knowledge or skills, but aren’t considered traditional STEM jobs, including health care, business, and data analysis. The top STEM careers include jobs in computing, engineering, physical and life sciences, and mathematics. Here is what STEM learning looks like across Colorado classrooms. STEM education can look different in each school and each classroom. STEM learning experiences help remedy this disconnect and answer the age-old question: Why does what I’m learning matter. According to the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report, nearly half of young workers in the United States find that their formal education did not prepare them for their work life. STEM education also helps increase the relevance of education for students, which in turn boosts student engagement. Importantly, the demand for STEM-literate workers is also increasing across non-STEM occupations, demonstrating the transferability of these skills across STEM and non-STEM industries. will need to fill nearly 8.7 million STEM-related jobs, yet not enough Americans are currently pursuing pathways in these areas to fill such positions. Additionally, learning STEM subjects and mastering related skills is increasingly important as more jobs and careers encompass STEM. These skills are useful in school, work, and life. Students who participate in STEM classes and programs develop a set of skills such as: Often, the emphasis is placed on in-school and out-of-school STEM opportunities to build the deep mathematical and scientific base of knowledge that students will need to be competitive in a future we can’t predict. By high school, STEM programs are more rigorous and can be stand-alone curricula or integrated into various classes. What Is STEM Education?Īs an integrated, applied learning program, STEM education can begin as early as elementary school, with a focus on how the scientific method can be applied in everyday life. This presents Colorado with a tremendous opportunity to ensure all Colorado students have access to the education and training needed to fill our state’s workforce needs. Yet fewer than 25% of Colorado students are earning such credentials. For example, by 2020, nearly 55% of Colorado’s jobs will require STEM-related training or education. Meanwhile, businesses need employees with higher levels of training and education to meet the demands of our 21st century workforce. Students who are trained in STEM can expand career pathways throughout their adult lives-through certificate programs and post-secondary degrees with specific STEM career More and more school districts, businesses, and colleges are focusing on STEM programs for a variety of important reasons. Why Is STEM Important? By 2020, nearly 55% of Colorado’s jobs will require STEM-related training or education While STEM education is important for both students and employers in a practical sense of finding and filling jobs, it is equally important for cultivating a generation of students with the skills needed to solve the most pressing challenges we experience in the modern world. The amount of STEM-related jobs is growing exponentially, but filling those jobs has been a challenge in Colorado and throughout the United States.
