STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education advancement is the most efficient means of quickly generating more United States high wage jobs. This includes engineering, scientific, information technology (IT), research and development (R&D) and manufacturing technology positions. Unfortunately, most government bureaucrats are fixed to their old playbooks of artificially boosting wages. This year is no different with 18 states implementing minimum wage legislation.
The key is there is a insatiable and growing appetite for STEM talent in the world today. These future experts will develop new cutting edge technologies. Regrettably, the U.S. has been slipping in educating and developing them for some time. It’s now time to invigorate our STEM education prowess. This will both energize our country’s technological innovation and bring in more high paying jobs for our citizens!
The Minimum Wage Does Not Guarantee High Paying U.S. Jobs!
Most government officials feel the best way to increase wages is minimum wage legislation. Unfortunately, the majority of wage increase initiatives are implemented in steps. For example, even with the most substantial wage increases, as in the State of Washington, the minimum wage is only increased gradually. It rose there from $11 per hour, to $11.50 and eventually to $13.50 per hour by 2020.
Additionally, many wage increases would have been generated anyways due to our current, tight labor market. As a result, many large companies, such as Target and Wal-Mart, have announced companywide minimum wage increases enabling them to better recruit needed candidates. This was not due to benevolence, but instead supply and demand economic equations that have pushed them to increase recruiting efforts in order to better attract key talent.
Finally, there were only 148,000 new jobs were created last month and many were in the low paying service sector. Therefore, we need a catalyst to grow more engineering, scientific, IT, R&D and manufacturing technology talent and the corresponding job recruitment that comes from them and NOT more government legislation!
Improving STEM Education Will Recruit More High Wage Jobs!
There is a global shortage of many skilled workers. This is especially true for the R&D, IT, engineering, technical, scientific and manufacturing technology talent that my executive recruiting firm specializes in. These workers are in high demand, short supply and earn maximum job wages.
Unfortunately, America continues to slip in both STEM education and innovation. This education is what will recruit future candidates for those high paying R&D, IT, scientific, technical and manufacturing technology jobs that we need.
For example, in a entitled “India tops in producing bachelors in science, engineering” mentioned that India has recently churned out 25% of the world’s estimated 7.5 million technical, engineering and scientific bachelor degrees. The caveat is current STEM graduates will become the future engineers, scientific experts, software programmers and technology gurus. These occupations eventually produce the world’s greatest innovation and technology through R&D and IT!
One promising answer may be the all-girls robotics program reported by ABC News Chicago and entitled “Von Steuben all-girls robotics team prepares for national competition” spotlighted Chicago’s Von Stuben High School, whose scientific program has advanced all the way to the upcoming national competition.
“It’s like one of those mystery novels, you would read and you keep solving problems and problems until you come up with the right answer for the bot,” said team member Karen Moy.
“You made the robot move by yourself, and someone else, and you were actually able to accomplish it and it’s just so satisfying,” said Hikari Nakasone, another team member.
Both their talent and gender got attention at the qualifying competition. “I think it’s pretty cool that we are an all-girls team because there’s not much out there,” team member Safa Azad added.
“For a bunch of them being their first year working in robotics, without any prior experience, I think this alone is an accomplishment,” per robotics teacher Manny Aldana.
The girls refine parts of their robot, which picks up cones and stacks them. These young women are hooked on engineering by using their STEM skills.
“I love engineering. I love tools, I love to build, I love that stuff,” said Sophia Villacarlos, team member. “It’s just like a passion, I love it so much once I get into building stuff I just can’t stop.”
Just think how many of these girls might end up in future scientific and engineering jobs?
Future Technology Demands Better STEM Education
A recent report by leading market research firm Gartner shows that worldwide IT spending will increase 4.3% to $3.7 trillion this year. Much of this rise will be driven by new technical, engineering, scientific, R&D and IT innovation and manufacturing technology. The Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain are just some examples.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Robotics and Drones Spending Guide published a new update. It forecasts worldwide spending on robotics and drones solutions will increase 22.1% to $103.1 billion in 2018. By 2021, IDC expects this spending will more than double to $218.4 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) or 25.4%.
· Robotics spending will reach $94 billion in 2018 and will account for more than 90% of all spending throughout the 2017-2021 forecast.
· Industrial robotic solutions will account for the largest share of robotics spending (more than 70%), followed by service robots and consumer robots.
· Discrete and process manufacturing will be the leading industries for robotics spending at more than $60 billion combined in 2018.
· The resource and healthcare industries will also make significant investments in robotics solutions this year.
· The retail and wholesale industries will see the fastest robotics spending growth over the forecast with CAGRs of 46.3% and 41.2%, respectively.
Just who will provide these solutions if not R&D, IT, engineering, technical, scientific and manufacturing technology talent?
“Industrial robots are becoming more intelligent, human-friendly and easier to work with,” said Dr. Jing Bing Zhang, research director, Robotics.
“This has accelerated their rapid expansion in the manufacturing industry beyond automotive, especially in high-tech manufacturing that requires light-weight robots with higher precision, flexibility, mobility and collaborative capability. Vendors who are not able to meet such demands will see their market position quickly eroded.”
“Growth in the service robotics market is being driven by a collision of robotic technology maturity, market readiness, and related technology maturity,” said John Santagate, research director, Service Robotics.
Santagate continued: “Robots did not reach this point overnight; it has been a decades-long effort to bring robots to the point they are today. Over time, innovators have been building upon existing technology and layering new and emerging technology onto robotic devices. We have reached a point now where the mechanics of robots are mature and the addition of artificial intelligence, advanced vision systems, cloud applications, Internet of Things, and continued mechanical innovation has enabled safe, collaborative robots that are working with people rather than replacing people.”
“While robotics has its roots in the manufacturing sector, we continue to see increasing acceptance and adoption of robots in several other industries, such as resources and transportation,” said Jessica Goepfert, program director, Customer Insights & Analysis. “Organizations in these areas are attracted to the promise of greater efficiency and productivity. But they are also turning to robotics to address other concerns such as skills shortages, workplace safety, and keeping up with the accelerating pace of business.”
· Worldwide drone spending will be $9 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a faster rate than the overall market with a five-year CAGR of 29.8%.
· Enterprise drone solutions will deliver more than half of all drone spending throughout the forecast period with the balance coming from consumer drone solutions.
· Enterprise drones will increase its share of overall spending with a five-year CAGR of 36.6%.
· The utilities and construction industries will see the largest drone spending in 2018 ($912 million and $824 million, respectively), followed by the process and discrete manufacturing industries.
· The fastest growth in drone spending will come from the education (74.1% CAGR) and state/local government (70.5% CAGR) industries.
Again, these solutions must come from the multitudes of experts in engineering, technical, scientific, R&D, IT, and manufacturing technology. And those experts can be nurtured early through STEM education in our schools.
It’s time to stand up and act and not generate more government red tape and legislation!
2 Responses
I agree that STEM jobs will bring higher paid workers. Schools are just beginning to create elementary robotics teams and competitions. National grants are paying for this equipment and teacher training. Middle and high schools are getting on board, but both have had engineering and CAD instruction for years. I’m most excited to see this early learning at the elementary level because it’s the real promise for the future! Large corporations and philanthropists need to continue funding grants and teacher colleges need to step up instruction.
Thanks Maureen for your insights into STEM. Especially by being a science teacher for 29 years, you were on the cutting edge of molding future engineers, scientists, R&D (research and development), technical and manufacturing technology talent. We need more teachers like you for recruiting more STEM candidates in the future!
-Scott
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