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New York Academy of Sciences Launches New Report On the "Global STEM Paradox"
[January 27, 2015]

New York Academy of Sciences Launches New Report On the "Global STEM Paradox"


Today the New York Academy of Sciences released a new report, "The Global STEM Paradox," in an effort to better define the state of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers worldwide.

The report paints a startling picture of the state of STEM education worldwide: 67% of manufacturing employers in the United States report that they are unable to fill technical jobs for mid-skilled employees, while women represent less than 30% of the world's science researchers. Furthermore, in the United States, minority groups represent only 10% of STEM employees.

The Academy's report demonstrates that while there are sufficient numbers of graduates in STEM, employers still report difficultyin filling STEM jobs - the global STEM paradox. The report identifies areas of concern that contribute to employers' challenges: low numbers of graduates who have the skills needed to match actual job requirements, "brain drain" from developing countries, and the lack of women and people of color in STEM fields. The report also highlights a global disconnect between the developed and developing worlds, with mid and high-skill STEM jobs available in the Global South, but most of the candidates available to fill them living in the West.



"If we want to solve the global STEM paradox, we need to change the way we think about STEM education and careers worldwide, " says Meghan Groome, PhD, Executive Director of Education at the Academy. "It's not enough to churn out a small army of PhDs from our top institutions. We need a new class of skilled technicians, we need home-grown scientists in the developing world, and we need to make women and people of color feel welcome in STEM fields."

To combat the STEM paradox, the New York Academy of Sciences recently launched the Global STEM Alliance of the New York Academy of Sciences (GSA (News - Alert)), a worldwide partnership with governments, companies, NGOs, universities and schools to improve student access to STEM mentors and tools. At the UN in September, the GSA announced that it is investing millions of dollars in order to inspire over 1,000,000 children worldwide to become STEM leaders in more than 100 countries by 2020.



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