The number of open positions in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics continue to grow every year. Yet, despite years of efforts to increase interest in these fields, the diversity of the STEM workforce appears little changed. In fact, about half the current workers are approaching retirement age meaning that today’s “robust” demand will be even further increased in the next decade.
The STEM shortage has garnered national media coverage and generated conferences and panel discussions sponsored by Fortune 500 companies. Despite the interest and the efforts, STEM demographics remain largely unchanged. Interest in STEM fields at the high school level is now lower than it was in 2000.
In September the New York Times wrote about efforts in Silicon Valley to interest young black men in STEM, and in the skills and fields that are valuable in the nation’s cyber hotspot. Google had just announced that its workforce was just one percent black, and Yahoo was little different. Apple reported that seven percent of its workforce was black.
The article quotes the United States Census Bureau and 2011 data showing that blacks represented six percent of STEM workers and Hispanics seven percent. These percentages were about half of their representation in the overall workforce.
CNN looked at diversity reports from five tech companies, filing a Freedom of Information Act Request with the government in order to obtain the EEO records for major tech companies. Several companies petitioned for their data to be excluded. Those who released their findings include:
CISCO
- 225 officers or managers. Three black men and one black woman.
- 24,100 professionals. 507 black men and 239 black women.
- 2,850 sales workers. 52 black men and 23 black women.
INTEL
- 41 officers or managers. No blacks.
- 28,306 professionals. 535 black men and 247 black women.
- 577 sales workers. Nine black men and five black women.
The demand for STEM workers will soar as retirements begin. Programs to interest persons of color in the STEM fields are focused on high schools, but are also focused on the individual entrepreneur. The Times story discusses efforts to make venture capital available to black tech entrepreneurs. Both directions aim to break the barriers that now exist.
Raynard Kington, president of Grinnell College, spoke to RAND about those same issues. Kington advocates a “redshirt” program that would take ill-prepared students and catch them up academically before exposing them to the rigors of STEM courses in college. Take smart kids from poor schools and give them a chance to succeed with some help.
The takeaway from all this? Existing barriers, no matter how created, are preventing diversity in the STEM fields. While some of the changes can be made at the employer level, many more are educationally related and call for innovation to connect diverse cultures and to overcome educational deficits.
