WASHINGTON —Automation and other technological advancements threaten to put good-paying jobs further out of reach for marginalized groups unless more investments are made in preparing students for “Blue-Collar STEM” jobs, panelists convened Tuesday on Capitol Hill said.
Conversely, employers will need a more diverse pipeline of STEM talent in order compete, said panelist Dr. Victor McCrary, vice president for research and economic development at Morgan State University.
“This workforce is vital to the well-being of our society and the economic competitiveness of our nation,” McCrary said. “Businesses large and small across the U.S. — from Baltimore to the bayous of Louisiana — need adaptable, STEM-capable workers at every level of education and from all demographic groups in order to compete.”
McCrary said 12 percent of all jobs require skilled technical workers — a figure he said represents a total of more than 16 million jobs.
“One of the challenges for workers in this new order is this job market is fast-moving and dynamic,” McCrary said “Workers can no longer expect to have the same job and do the same task year in and year out.”
He also noted that while 11.5 of the 11.6 million jobs created between 2010 and 2016 went to workers with at least some college education, the cost of a four-year degree continues to “grow by leaps and bounds, putting it out of reach for many Americans.”
“Given this landscape, the value of focusing our attention on blue-collar STEM education and workforce development is critical,” McCrary said. “Educational efforts aimed at developing a skilled technical workforce helps to produce the kind of highly capable workers in demand both in the private and public sector, typically in areas such as health care, cybersecurity, research and defense.”
