Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The Problem

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions are recognized by educators and business leaders as being pillars to national economies that vie for wealth and prosperity. Nonetheless, human resource development (HRD) has largely been absent from the discussion on potential contributions it may provide to address recruitment, development, and retention issues that threaten a diverse, sustained supply of career ready STEM workers. Considering the changing nature of knowledge-intensive jobs and continuing growth in STEM occupations, HRD’s role to advance STEM careers in the 21st century is significant.

The Solution

The special issue moves beyond the rhetoric of the STEM teacher shortage and a skills gap to offer clarity around career readiness and retention in STEM and introduce HRD’s responses through research, practice, and policy making. The issue provides examples and information that illustrate a range of strategies involving education, industry, and community partnerships to consider how to advance STEM careers from a more holistic perspective.

The Stakeholders

Scholars, practitioners, teachers, administrators, industry leaders, and government officials who hold interest in promoting STEM careers.

Keywords

HRD career readiness workforce development science technology engineering math STEM skills K-12 higher education

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Allen

Burgess

Mayo

(2018). The teacher labour market, teacher turnover, and disadvantaged schools: New evidence for England. Education Economics, 26, 4-23.

Aragon

(2016, May). Teacher shortages: What we know. Teacher Shortage Series. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED565893.pdf

Arthur

M. B.

(2008). Examining contemporary careers: A call for interdisciplinary inquiry. Human Relations, 61, 163-186.

Breiner

J. M.

Harkness

S. S.

Johnson

C. C.

Koehler

C. M.

(2012). What is STEM? A discussion about conceptions of STEM in education and partnerships. School Science and Mathematics, 112, 3-11.

Chen

(2013). STEM attrition: College students’ paths into and out of STEM fields (NCES 2014-001). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, and U.S. Department of Education.

Deloitte & The Aspen Institute. (2015). A guide to upskilling America’s frontline workers: A handbook for employers. Retrieved from http://www.upskillamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Upskilling_Employer_Handbook_042015.pdf

Duderstadt

J. J.

(2008). Engineering for a changing world: A roadmap to the future of engineering practice, research, and education. New York, NY: Springer.

Evasius

(2015). Exciting research careers: The sometimes-forgotten STEM careers. In STEMconnector® Team (Eds.), Advancing a jobs-driven economy: Higher education and business partnerships lead the way (pp. 28-32). New York, NY: Morgan James.

Friedman

T. L.

(2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

10.

Herr

E. L.

(2001). Career development and its practice: A historical perspective. Career Development Quarterly, 49, 196-211.

11.

Inkson

Gunz

Ganesh

Roper

(2012). Boundaryless careers: Bringing back boundaries. Organization Studies, 33, 323-340.

12.

Jenkins

Spence

(2006). The career pathways how-to guide. Brooklyn, NY: Workforce Strategy Center. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED496995

13.

Kramer

Tallant

Goldberger

Lund

(2015). The global STEM paradox. New York: The New York Academy of Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.nyas.org/media/15805/global_stem_paradox.pdf

14.

The Library of Congress. (2007). America Competes Act H.R. 2272/ S. 761. Public Law, 110-69. Washington, DC: Author.

15.

Marginson

Tytler

Freeman

Roberts

(2013). STEM: Country comparisons: International comparisons of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Final report. Melbourne: Australian Council of Learned Academies.

16.

McDonald

Hite

(2016). Career development: A human resource development perspective. New York, NY: Routledge.

17.

Mishra

McDonald

(2017). Career resilience: An integrated review of the empirical literature. Human Resource Development Review, 16, 207-234.

18.

The National Academies. (2007). Rising above the gathering storm: Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

19.

National Science Board. (2015). Revisiting the STEM workforce: A companion to science and engineering indicators, 2014. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2015/nsb201510.pdf

20.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016a). PISA 2015 results (Vol. I): Excellence and equity in education. Paris, France: Author. doi:10.1787/9789264266490-en

21.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016b). Skills matter: Further results from the survey of adult skills. OECD Skills Studies. Paris, France: Author. doi:10.1787/9789264258051-en

22.

Sanders

(2009). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania. The Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20-26.

23.

STEMconnector® Team. (Eds.). (2015). Advancing a jobs-driven economy: Higher education and business partnerships lead the way. New York, NY: Morgan James.

24.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2012). International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011 (UNESCO-UIS 2012). Retrieved from http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/international-standard-classification-of-education-isced-2011-en.pdf

25.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Women in the labor force: A databook (Report No. 1059). Washington, DC: BLS Reports.

26.

World Economic Forum. (2016, January). The future of jobs: Employment, skills, and workforce strategy for the fourth industrial revolution (Executive Summary). Geneva, Switzerland: Author.

27.

Yawson

. (2011). Historical antecedents as precedents for nanotechnology vocational education training and workforce development. Human Resource Development Review, 10(4), 417-430.