For some students, one of the biggest obstacles to pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics is a lack of a way to picture themselves doing the jobs in real life. A panel of STEM industry and education experts discussed how businesses can partner with schools and communities to better engage students in STEM and ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workforce.
The panelists included Patricia Brown, national director of corporate engagement for the National Academy Foundation; Russ Fisher-Ives, director of global programs for RoboRAVE International; Meisha Sherman, director of global talent and organizational development for Hewlett-Packard; and Ed Hidalgo, senior director of staffing at Qualcomm. Linda Rosen, chief executive officer of Change the Equation, moderated the discussion. Below are key takeaways from the session.
- The discussion centered around what work-based learning is and how to bring that type of experiential learning to students, either in their local schools or on site at businesses in STEM.
- Panelists said they were not surprised that recent polling shows employers are worried about a mismatch between college graduates’ skills and workforce needs, but each organization has developed its own way to help better prepare students for careers in STEM.
- The National Academy Foundation partners with high schools in high-need communities to create “NAF Academies” — small, learning communities housed within the schools. RoboRAVE hosts a robotics competition that reaches more than 1,500 students in nine countries and encourages them to interact with participants from different ages and backgrounds while focusing on three goals: fun while learning, sharing and teamwork. Qualcomm has created a dedicated Maker space within its San Diego campus where middle school students can experience careers firsthand before participating in a coding activity through which they create their own project. Hewlett-Packard connects its company leaders with board at different schools, and partners with the National Academy Foundation to facilitate a relationship between company leaders and students.
- Challenges still exist. For many parties, both schools and businesses, a lack of resources is an issue. The key is determining what works for an individual school or student, rather than mandating a specific course of action. Qualcomm’s Hidalgo said, for example, that the company thinks about hands-on training for students as “experienceships” rather than internships. Whether students come for even half a day or several times throughout the year, experiencing the work firsthand can be more valuable than some internships.
While all panelists agreed the relationship between industry and education is important, each had a slightly different take on what’s most important to scale up successful programs. Brown, of the National Academy Foundation, said “it’s all about changing the environment in the classroom” — bringing business to the classroom and the classroom to business, recognizing that each has a different set of priorities. Fisher-Ives of RoboRAVE said it’s important to pursue any solution “with passion and commitment.” Sherman, of Hewlett-Packard, said a big challenge will always be resources — people, time and money. Partnering with groups that have already shown success and identified best practices can be beneficial in spreading innovative programs.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s Hidalgo says companies should start by looking at the individual student to find their own unique strengths and values.
“How does a child aspire to a career they don’t know exists?” Hidalgo said. By investing in individual students’ interests, he said “no matter what jobs of the future are, they’ll know there is a place for them.”