State of STEM

Why Now?

Over the last 20 years, the perceived ‘gap in STEM-ready workers’ has been a focus area for employers, educators, job-seekers, students, and more. Despite this, there is still dissonance about the nature and scope of the STEM talent gap.

STEMconnector has set out to understand this lack of consensus, building on other foundational research, while laying out a new, comprehensive framework. We interviewed over 100 subject matter experts and practitioners from employers, research institutions, government, K-12 education, postsecondary education, and other sectors to capture the varying perspectives of these stakeholders across the STEM ecosystem. State of STEM illustrates the current STEM landscape including the organizations, systems, and influences that comprise and shape it. This report establishes a common language for those working in any sector that touches STEM and supports those seeking to build connections across this complex system.

While mapping the STEM ecosystem, we realized that there is no single STEM talent gap, but rather several layers of underlying challenges that produce what is usually perceived as a single gap. Specifically, we have uncovered five critical gaps in the STEM workforce and the overall workforce of the future.

Also in STATE of STEM:

• STEMconnector’s Definition of STEM
• Key Readings on the Future of Work
• Key Sources of STEM Data
• Three Technology Trends Influencing the STEM Workforce
• Three Nuanced Readings on the STEM Talent Gap
• Aspects of Demographics that Often Impact STEM Participation
• A full list of the over 100 people interviewed for this report