When Science Degrees Do Not Produce Science Professionals

The latest issue of Scientific American says that we are successfully producing more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degree holders than in the past, but not enough STEM professionals to meet the needs of employers.  This is because, posits article author Mark Fischetti, "people with STEM degrees often choose jobs in other fields that pay more or have higher perceived status."  Fischetti bases his conclusion on the insights of economist Nicole Smith, who works at Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce.

Conscious of earnings and needing to pay back student loans, math majors go into finance, for example.  Biology majors move on to med school, betting that the increased debt and status they acquire as MDs or DOs will pay off in the long run.  In short, many STEM careers just do not seem as attractive as other options, including business school or other graduate training.  With high unemployment everywhere, who can blame graduates for trying to seek out sure bets when it comes to career planning?

Georgetown's Center on the Workforce recently released Hard Times, an analysis of unemployment among recent college graduates that unsurprisingly concludes that choice of major "substantially affects employment prospects and earnings."  According to the report, workers who create technology have more options than those who simply use it.  Majors tied to specific jobs, as opposed to those that are seen as providing more generic skills, do not fare as well in the job market. 

These trends do not necessarily point to smooth sailing for STEM degree holders. But they do suggest that STEM graduates will continue to be more in demand than other groups. All the more reason that we need to make STEM jobs across the board more attractive to them. 

How do we do this? Again Mark Fischetti of Scientific American offers some helpful ideas:

Raising salaries in certain disciplines would clearly help. Starting wages in computer science and engineering have increased steadily over time, for example, but wages in biology have not...

Making science jobs appear more exciting would also improve their attractiveness. So would finding ways to get society to hold STEM professions in higher regard. Surveys of graduating STEM students show that they value social “recognition” and that they think society holds professionals such as doctors and corporate executives in higher esteem than scientists.

Companies could help the cause as well. Smith says that sometimes employers complain that they cannot find the right graduates to fit specific jobs, yet she thinks that expectation is unrealistic. In decades past, corporations would hire graduates for placement into apprentice-style programs where the new employees would receive custom training. But companies have cut back on such programs in recent years. Resurrecting training programs could help shape graduates into the kinds of employees companies are seeking, which ultimately would increase the number of STEM grads who end up in STEM jobs.

All interesting ideas, but perhaps with a good dose of wishful thinking. The question is whether it is possible to address these specific issues via policy or whether they are best taken up by private individuals and industry.  The answer is likely that everyone needs to lend a hand. But the trick is striking an effective balance.