By 2022, employment in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the St. Louis region is projected to grow by 12.4%, according to the most recent State of St. Louis Workforce report focused on STEM. But St. Louis employers are struggling to fill these positions. In 2018, 41% of St. Louis companies cited a shortage of workers with knowledge and skills as the primary barrier to expanding employment (St. Louis Community College 2018; see Figure 1). This workforce gap in the St. Louis area isn’t an isolated situation, but it is against this backdrop that a unique STEM pipeline collaborative took shape, with the vision to tackle the workforce shortage and income inequity by inspiring students to pursue STEM careers.
To learn about the formation of STEMpact and to read the full article in Connected Science Learning, click here.
Connected Science Learning is a publication of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), with support from the Kavil Foundation.