SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IT STARTS HERE
Army educational outreach to build science, technology, engineering and math talent helps grow the workforce of tomorrow
by Mr. Jeffrey D. Singleton and Ms. Andrea Simmons-Worthen T
he Army employs more than 800,000 military and civilian personnel, 96,000 of whom occupy science, technology, engineering or mathematic (STEM) posi- tions, according to Defense Manpower Data Center
classifications. Of that 96,000, more than 16,000 are world- class scientists and engineers within the Army’s 16 laboratories and research centers. Tese scientists and engineers develop leading-edge technologies and advanced capabilities that give our Soldiers, the Army’s greatest asset, the decisive advantage in the face of our adversaries and keep them safe from harm.
Broadly defined to include jobs such as technicians that don’t require a bachelor’s degree, science
and technology (S&T)
occupations make up 21 percent of the nation’s workforce, and that percentage is increasing steadily, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Te Army and the nation have a growing need for highly qualified, STEM- literate technicians and skilled workers in advanced manufacturing, logistics, management and other technology-driven fields.
But the need for STEM literacy—the ability to understand and apply concepts
from science, technology, engineering
and mathematics in order to solve complex problems—goes well beyond the traditional STEM occupations of scientist, engineer and mathematician. Te U.S. Department of Labor predicts that in the next decade, 80 percent of jobs will require STEM skills, yet only 16 percent of college students pursuing bachelor’s degrees will be specializing in STEM fields.
Emerging mission requirements further complicate the chal- lenges for the DOD STEM workforce. Multidimensional and 72
Te Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) manifests the Army’s STEM education strategy to ensure enduring access to highly qualified U.S. talent. AEOP provides a coordinated portfolio of STEM programs across S&T commands as well as government, university and industry partners. It offers stu- dents and teachers a collaborative, cohesive array of programs that effectively engage, inspire and attract the next generation of STEM talent from kindergarten through college, thereby expos- ing students to STEM careers in DOD.
cross-disciplinary STEM competencies are essential to supply technical talent in our research centers for emerging fields as well as to provide STEM-literate talent for the research and analysis work that the Army does continually across every field. In other words, the Army must prepare human capital for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented. Te success and sustainment of this STEM infrastructure depends on the STEM-literate community to support innovation, fur- ther adding to the demand for STEM talent and accentuating the STEM challenge.
NURTURING TALENT Te growing demand for STEM competencies, the global com- petitiveness for STEM talent and the unbalanced makeup of STEM fields have led to President Obama’s call for an all-hands- on-deck approach to the STEM challenge. Developing a highly competent STEM workforce requires partnerships among gov- ernment, industry and academia. Te Army makes a unique and valuable contribution to the national STEM challenge by providing access to its world-class technical professionals and research centers for students and teachers.
Army AL&T Magazine
January–March 2014
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