Changes in the economic structure of the country have created a need for changes in the educational structure, as well.
Not long ago, manufacturing jobs provided a foundation for a strong middle class. A high school graduate could reasonably expect to enter the workforce and secure a job that often would provide security throughout their working years and into retirement. It’s no secret that dynamic has changed as manufacturing opportunities have diminished over the past several decades. And as the nation transitions into a high-tech, global economy, the emphasis for establishing a strong middle class has turned to STEM fields, with jobs and a need for workers being found in professions related to science, technology, engineering, and math.
As the home of groundbreaking aerospace and software companies, Washington long has been a leader in this transformation. But, as a new report from Boston Consulting Group concludes, the state can do more to produce workers to fill the jobs created by those innovative industries. “Washington state’s economy is booming, producing great jobs that offer competitive salaries,” reads the report. “But a serious problem is lurking behind the boom: A leak in the pipeline for employees to fill the state’s most valuable jobs.”
The report, “Opportunity for All: Investing in Washington State’s STEM Education Pipeline,” suggests that an investment of $650 million could generate $4.5 billion in additional tax revenues and social-service savings. While hard numbers are inherently speculative, it is difficult to quibble with the assertion that investment in such education is crucial and will position the state for long-term economic stability.
Primary among the issues is the need for a qualified workforce to meet the demands of high-tech industries. Without workers, companies will import employees from outside the state or move jobs to where the workers are. “We estimate that only 9 out of 100 children born in Washington will ultimately end up as employees in a STEM-related field in the state — far fewer than the number of people needed to fill Washington jobs.”
Specifically, the report focuses on three major areas: Early learning; an emphasis on STEM curriculum in K-12 education; and a doubling of capacity for STEM students in college along with an expansion of scholarship programs. Among the state’s efforts in this regard is the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program, which was launched in 2011 and supports students who choose to study in high-tech or health care fields. Microsoft and Boeing each have donated $25 million to the scholarship program, with the state providing matching funds.
The involvement of two of Washington’s signature high-tech businesses emphasizes the importance of the issue. Companies in many such fields will continue to grow and innovate, and the ability of the state’s educational system to match that innovation will be essential to Washington’s future prosperity. “Creating more STEM jobs would not only boost Washington’s economy, it would also reduce poverty and unemployment, help all Washington families prosper, and create a better-prepared workforce,” reads the report from Boston Consulting Group.
Such assertions are not original, but they rarely are tied to this nation’s need to rebuild its middle class. High-tech industries are to the present and the future what blue-collar manufacturing was to the past — a pathway to prosperity that benefits all of society.
