Governor Mary Fallin’s TEM ummit Dr. Stephen McKeever A STEM-educated Workforce: Why it is important to Oklahoma The Oklahoma Industry Ecosystem: The main wealth generating businesses in Oklahoma are found in*: • • • • • Aerospace and Defense Energy Agriculture & Biosciences Information Technology & Finance Transportation & Distribution All are STEM or STEM-related business sectors. *Oklahoma’s Economic Development Initiative, 2013; Department of Commerce The STEM Workforce Pipeline : US National Data 100 90 100 Net Loss, or Diversion, from STEM, between HS and 10-yr post graduation: 95% 80 Percent 70 60 50 40 75% Loss between HS and College A further 38% Loss 30 20 10 0 25 15.5 A further 43% Loss 9 A further 46% Loss 5 Students who areStudents judgedwho Students who Students who BS STEM BS GraduatesBS STEM graduate Students who are judged enter College graduate withgraduate Graduates working in capable of a STEMcapable careerof a to study a BS in STEM working in STEM after 10working in STEM with a BS in STEM based on HS qualifications STEM career STEM STEM years careers after 10 years based on Students HS who enter BS STEM graduate qualifications College to study STEM working in STEM careers Data from: “STEM”, Carneville et al., 2011; Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce Oklahoma Data 53,656 students enrolled (in public colleges) in STEM subjects in 2010-11 (OSRHE: “Degrees of Progress”, 2012 Annual Report) If ZER0 drop out or change subject, there would therefore be 53,656 STEM graduates after 5-6 years. However, in 2011-12 Oklahoma (public colleges) graduated 5,297 students in the same STEM disciplines. Assume the same graduation rate for next 6 years, expect 31,782 STEM graduates. This represents a drop-out/diversion rate of 40% - comparable to national statistics (38%) Oklahoma Data Oklahoma’s DEMAND for a STEM-educated workforce: • Average STEM job growth expected to be 6,712 per year for the next 10 years. (Nationally: 9,023 per year) – But, what STEM jobs exactly? How are STEM jobs defined? • Over same period, Oklahoma expected to replace 54% of existing STEM workforce. – What are the reasons for this non-retention? • 94% of STEM jobs will require some college experience – Again, how are STEM jobs defined? • 70% of all STEM occupations will require a bachelor’s degree or higher – How are STEM jobs defined? Oklahoma Data Oklahoma’s SUPPLY of a STEM-educated workforce: • STEM graduates (associates degrees and up) from Oklahoma institutions of higher education were 5,910 in 2010-2011 • But in what subjects? Are they the right subjects for Oklahoma? • High percentage of these leave state (or country) • How many? • Some divert to other non-STEM careers • How many? • Career Tech Certificates • • • How many in STEM Fields? How many of these already have college STEM degrees? How many are already employed in STEM jobs? What We Need for Oklahoma • Reconcile Supply versus Demand data – Exactly how many STEM-qualified workers are needed? – In what areas? – With what Qualifications? • Education and Industry need to work on this problem together – Identify the under-supply areas (and the over-supply areas) – Identify why graduates (and workers) leave STEM fields – Identify solutions Create a joint strategy for Oklahoma’s STEM Workforce future Why such a large Dropout/Diversion rate? Are the students well-enough prepared when they enter college? 24 Science ACT Physics AP Physics Chemistry AP Chemistry Biology AP Biology Genetics Microbiology Environmental Sci. + 5 Foreign Languages 23 Physics AP Physics Chemistry AP Chemistry Biology + 2 Foreign Languages One of Oklahoma's leading Public HS 22 National Average 21 Oklahoma Average 20 NCLB 19 2000 2002 EOI RTTT 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 At OSU 7-8% of incoming Freshman require remedial classes, most of whom require remedial Math Why such a large Dropout/Diversion rate? Do students understand what careers are possible with STEM qualifications? Do students understand what STEM courses are needed at HS to attain those careers? Typically, young students love dinosaurs, space, etc.? Why/when/how do they lose their interest in science? Our Purpose Today • Start a state-wide dialogue about STEM issues. • Ask: what needs to be done? What can be done? • Ask: who needs to take action, and what action? • Ask: how we should fund such initiatives? • Solutions not just in our schools, but also involve our industries, our political system, our communities and our homes. Today we start the journey toward those solutions