The number of U.S. undergraduate degrees being awarded in most STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) has risen steadily in recent years{link to G Sci page}. Yet some American employers say they are having trouble finding candidates to fill STEM jobs. The mismatch is not occurring because of an actual shortage of graduates; the numbers of job openings and new degree holders align fairly closely. And the shortfall is not because more foreign-born students are returning home after earning U.S. degrees, as has been rumored lately.
The mismatch is occurring because people with STEM degrees are choosing jobs in other fields that pay more or have higher perceived status, according to Nicole Smith, senior economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. "Biology students become doctors; math majors go into finance," she explains. Others get MBAs so they will be recruited for management positions, where they can make more money, in part to pay off high student loans.
Smith says several steps could make STEM jobs more attractive to students. 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. Notably, the number of women entering college is rising faster than the number of men, and female students tend to take biology over computer science or engineering, so raising biology salaries could be particularly helpful.
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.
Find more data and commentary about undergraduate science degrees in the February 2012 issue of Scientific American.
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13 Comments
Add CommentI found the article " How Science Degrees Stack UP" by Mark Fischetti in the February issue very difficult to interpret. The graphics by Nathan You obviously were chosen for ascetics and not for the communication of information. Having a mirror image of the bar graphs obfuscated the data. Identifying what the bars represented was not clearly presented. A plain bar graph or a trend line on a properly labelled graph would be superior. I also take exception to using the STEM acronym in the printed article withour defining STEM. I had to look through the article to figure out the acronym. It was clearly defined in the on line version.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am a reseach scientist and I am very familiar with data. Scientific American owes it to the general public to present data in a clear, concise manner.
As long as one American political party is virtually at war against science the appeal of jobs in scientific fields will be limited.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis needs to be presented as a truly national issue. The USA cannot afford to fall behind other countries, like China, in core scientific knowledge, research and business.
I am a Director in a company that hire's computer scientists and engineers. The biggest problem with hiring anyone with a college degree in nearly any field is the education is so far behind reality these green grads are almost useless. In fact, we will hire computer programmers with no degree at all because their real world and practical experience means I can put them to work immediately. With a college grad, I have to not only catch them up about a decade, I have to help them unlearn the ridiculous stuff their professors taught, which proves the stereotype to some level that professors teach because they cant do.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is little reason for a company to pay more for a college student in these technical fields if so much has to be unlearned and taught new to make them useful.
Priddsern
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've heard this story before and it may be partially true however would it also be true that you like to hire people who haven't graduated so that you can protect your job? Because if you hired someone with a degree they could move up the corporate ladder and maybe even become your boss and fire you since you only hire people who can't think beyond what you teach them.
I work as a recruiter for scientists/engineers. Companies hire those they need and pay more for those that are hard to find. Mechanical and mining engineers are in short supply; higher salary (price). Biologists are in higher supply; lower salary (price). Supply/demand.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI see very little of foreign student/applicant overload. I do see quite a few new or relatively new engineers that do not want to work in an industrial application. Rather they wish to work in an office - and make drawings and plans. Lots of people out there to make paper. Not many to make processes better - and work within the process environment.
And many companies require a relocation to the job. Many do not want to move (I do not place blame, just state the fact). If you do not wish to move to a plant/office, then you do not get their job.
So: be willing to get a degree in an area with short supply, be willing to do the work companies need and be willing to move to where the company is. That will help.
Wow you really are living in some sort of other world. Ever hear of capitalism? First of all, 95% of who is hired has a degree which blows your theory out of the water. Second the way you make money in this industry is with the MOST talented people you can find and have the ability to think for themselves and come up with their own ideas not parrot mine. Does it hurt not understanding how capitalism actually works? The FACT is college degrees are no longer valuable. It is the person who is valuable and it always has been the person. It used to be a college degree set a person apart from others, now they are little more than paper with your name on it proving the person is likely 2 decades in debt with student loans and all he learned from the experience is likely a decade behind or entirely wrong.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEveryone I hire is hired because they have convinced me they are highly intelligent, capable of thinking for themselves, able to work entirely independently, are able to put forth ideas and back them up with the ability to make those ideas happen or know how to work with others to make it happen. That is it, none of this is taught in college so the fact a person has a degree or not is irrelevant.
The ridiculous nonsense you just spouted is likely what happens in Union controlled employers or government workers perhaps, I would not know.
What I do know is anyone who is as arrogant, self righteous and completely unable to understand reality like you, drafter, would not be hired.
Hi Drafter,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have, indeed, seen some people be a bit protectionist - they hire people that are not a threat to themselves. No big surprise. But in most companies, there are other supervisors, HR, etc, that will make sure that this is not a habit. No company survives the long term by hiring the mediocre to protect one dudes job. Even small companies where the hiring manager is the owner - if they hire only the semi-competent, some other company will hire the competent and blow them out of the water.
And, also, sometimes a degree is a "litmus test", not a true indication of a person's ability/capability. But....you cannot change that.
If you are bitter or irritated at potentially being passed-up for spots because of what you mention, then fix it. Go to school. Get some certifications. Take a deep breath. Just don't expect to change the world. Join it or fail. Sorry....
"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."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou may have noticed Obama's SOTU reference to apprentice training. If you read between the lines, two thoughts emerge: one, college can be (and is, for many)a waste of time. What is taught is largely immaterial to what is needed.
Instead, teach generality and essential social skills. Also, students should be subsidized and trained to appenticeships, somewhat similar to specialized military training. Let us be done with so much fluffy nonsense.
Money and logistics such as relocation, debt repayment times, are among the factors however an oft overlooked factor is the human one. Some logical humans prefer having a social aspect in their minds, work and lives, rather than focusing on technology 24/7.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm going to hack the tail off of that damned wagging dog!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA college degree has never presupposed experience. The degree shows that the person can stick it out through a tough program, that is what is being sold. Not experience.
Sure, you can hire the natural genius who flies through research and sucks up every kernel of info, but when it comes to working with others, the lack of self discipline, and self restraint, becomes quite apparent.
Especially now that college is about money more than a real life education.
What, you have a MBA? Great! When you get some experience, drop in and apply. No, you can't run the company now.
I have one question: Since American colleges churn out incompetent graduates, why is so expensive?
Well said @dadofsat. I was thinking of the supply/demand relationship to biology jobs when i read the below sentence.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"so raising biology salaries could be particularly helpful".
It's true that people in management, Finance, MBAs make more money than scientists and engineers. So unless you are dyed in the wool geek, you go to where the money is. The comments about how useless an MBA is, are irrelevant because they are in high demand and get paid a good salary. The fact is that it takes less effort to get an MBA than a STEM degree, you get to work in a nice clean office, and you make more money. Some companies will hire an engineer in lieu of an MBA because of the extensive math training engineers have. Industry can change this at any time that they start offering salaries and better benefits to STEM graduates.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy own perspective on this is of a 30+ dyed in the wool techie geek with 2 engineers in my immediate family.
Want to make more money as a biologist? Easy - modify a fairly harmless bacteria or virus to be very contagious and very deadly. Release it into the wild. Wait until people start dying and offer the vaccine or cure on a sliding scale based on income. For executives and MBAs charge an additional big premium.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is what Capitalism is all about. In a free market economy everything has a price. If the rich and powerful aren't willing to pay extra then let them die. It is their choice after all.