“Our education system needs a major overhauling of K-12 to help get students excited about the opportunities available in a STEM career,” says Norman R. Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. “We have to start by getting quality teachers into the classroom and paying them a competitive wage.”
Data show that one of the largest barriers to STEM success for underrepresented minorities is a lack of financial resources. But, if you remove financial barriers and provide support to students, they will perform, says Margaret Daniels Tyler, the senior program officer of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, a philanthropic initiative in the field of education. “We are reaching the neediest students in this country, and they have the potential and the backgrounds to make a difference. We have 1,766 scholars pursuing STEM fields, and they have an average GPA of 3.37.”
In terms of business, NACME’s bottom line is “a work force that resembles America.” This aspiration cannot be met unless the skills pipeline is transformed, NACME officials say.
“We can’t expect colleges and universities to make dramatic changes overnight. Success demands open collaboration among academia, government and industry to transform how the skills pipeline get built. The gaps are wide between where we are and what we think ought to be possible. If we are to close those gaps, I believe that we must live and operate in a way that embraces integration over isolation,” says Nicholas Donofrio, executive vice president innovation and technology at IBM.
Email the editor: editor@diverseeducation.com
Click here to post and read comments
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
