89% of girls who are urged to study STEM say they plan to pursue it in their educations
What people learn matters more when they elaborate on how they learn? The consistent gaining popularity among education systems, STEM industry, the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math have claimed 16% of college graduates graduate in a STEM industry field or subject. And estimation says 2 million job vacancies in these sectors will be introduced by 2019. But here’s the fact: Students are less likely to be encouraged to study science, technology, engineering, and math, especially girls. The reason is that when students start to struggle in STEM lessons, they become less interested in the subject.
A gateway to enter skill-based learning
Abbott has found a promising way to help address these trends, starting from the high school STEM internship program. Till now, about 130 young people have completed this program since 2012 in which 97% chose to study STEM in college. The attention inspired Abbott to take a step addressing Women’s Equality Day, and call to action for other companies to join them. The togetherness will take all of them to change the fact that less than a quarter of the STEM workforce is women.
With the hope that other companies will use it to create similar programs; Abbott is making its internal plan public. Detailed blueprint for a successful high school internship aimed at offering young people, particularly girls, experience in the STEM fields. Also, sending it to CEOs and human resources leaders at Fortune 500 companies.
STEM challenges students
According to the Abbott study conducted in partnership with YouGov among 655 U.S. women aged 18 and older who graduated with STEM degrees, nearly 40% of Abbott’s U.S. science, technology, and engineering workforce. Considering as not enough Abbott wants more women to pursue STEM careers, which will hopefully bring diversity in workplaces.
Another study suggests there is a need to expand STEM opportunities for girls. Nearly 5 in 10 of the girls (ages 11-15) indicated they aren’t encouraged to study STEM. Even when women do get STEM degrees, only 6 out of 10 said they got STEM jobs or internships out of college- and more than half of women who work in STEM upon graduation leave STEM within 10 years.
“Our blueprint is working,” Corlis Murray, senior vice president of Quality, Regulatory and Engineering Services said. “We want it to work for other companies, too. The future of the next great inventors, scientists, and engineers depend on it.”
