Those with associate’s degrees were significantly more likely than those with bachelor or higher education to leave STEM fields (35 percent to 24 percent). The reality for sub-baccalaureate degrees in STEM is starkly different. For the past several years, policymakers on both sides of the aisle have encouraged students to consider community college as an alternative pathway to four-year degrees. The data on the performance of workers with associate degrees in STEM fields is also alarming. But if women and minorities are excluded, or perceive themselves as being less welcome in STEM fields, we all suffer as a nation. STEM jobs are rightly seen as a bridge to upward mobility and long-term financial security. The lack of acceptance and obstacles to equal opportunity that racial and ethnic minorities and women perceive and experience in STEM careers pose a significant problem in our national quest for social and racial justice - and for our economic strength. Disadvantage, in STEM fields as in the rest of life, is often in the eye of the beholder. Fifty-one percent of those from nonwhite, non AAPI/Hawaiian backgrounds say African Americans face more obstacles and 46 percent say the same about Latinos.īut only 26 percent of white respondents believed African Americans face obstacles in STEM occupations, and 25 percent of white respondents said the same about Latinos. STEM careers also are seen to be less welcoming for racial minorities, including African-Americans and Latinos. Longevity equates to seniority and advancement into management and leadership positions. What this data suggests is that the uneven playing field for women in the STEM workforce may play a part in discouraging long-term commitment to the field. Women were much more likely to say they faced career obstacles due to their gender. STEM has traditionally been dominated by younger white men - per our recent survey, 59 percent of the field is younger than 50, 70 percent are white and 65 percent are male. Women, minorities and those with associate degrees have found the field less than welcoming. However, experience in STEM fields varies considerably by gender, race and education. Ninety-five percent of current and 85 percent of former STEM workers would recommend a similar career to a young person, which in some ways is the strongest endorsement of all. This isn’t just a question of personal happiness - many feel a deep kinship with the field. In addition, healthy numbers of STEM workers have no fear of the traditional job-killing bogeymen: automation. Few (17 percent) regret their choice of major, and nearly half feel they are more equipped to contribute to society than workers in other sectors. STEM workers are, for the most part, satisfied with their career opportunities.
STEM degrees have become popular in recent years as the demand for technical skills for current and future jobs increases, drawing students with the promise of both prestige and earnings premiums. Other findings were more troubling, raising concerns about how specific subgroups of STEM workers fare in their jobs and why a significant number of these individuals are leaving the field for good.įirst, the good news. Some of the data confirms what we’ve long believed: most people who get STEM degrees and enter careers are enthusiastic about their jobs. Last summer, the American Enterprise Institute surveyed more than 1,300 individuals with STEM degrees to test a wide-range of questions about education, working conditions, pay and job satisfaction. Intrigued by these findings, we decided to dig deeper to see if we could gain a more complete understanding of the trends. Deming and Noray also found that almost 20 percent of STEM-trained individuals ended up leaving their field in that same period. Troubling research has emerged in recent years about the career longevity of students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).Īccording to Harvard University’s David Deming and Kadeem Noray, individuals with these credentials often start out with higher earnings but see that premium fade within 10 years of graduation. Watch Video: DeGrasse Tyson: Coronavirus is experiment in whether world 'will listen to scientists'
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