Black women are now the most educated group in the United States, but they remain woefully underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The COVID-19 pandemic is our chance to repair this gap.
As a therapist and career coach working with adults throughout the pandemic, I have assisted people with a wide range of career concerns. I have worked with individuals who are reassessing their career goals in the context of the pandemic, looking for more flexibility as companies transition back to in-person workdays or languishing in their current role and looking to find fulfillment at work and in their personal life. Economists and workforce development professionals have been baffled by how to address the Great Resignation.
Since the pandemic began, employees are leaving the workforce or finding new work opportunities en masse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the U.S., more than 4 million Americans have left their jobs since September 2021.
What does this mean for STEM industries, which have historically been in high need for skilled workers? Every year there are thousands of unfilled positions in STEM. It is estimated that more than 3 million jobs in STEM will need to be filled by 2025.
The U.S. consistently lacks professionals in the STEM workforce and struggles with diversifying the STEM workforce. Specifically, the U.S. continues to lack Black women in STEM. The workforce gaps in STEM can be directly traced back to pipeline leaks in K-12 and post-secondary education. Beginning in high school, fewer women and racial minorities expect to have a career in STEM at age 30. Then, in college, significantly more men than women declare STEM majors and significantly more Asian and white students declare STEM majors when compared to their counterparts.
Continue reading: https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/16/black-women-stem-gap/
As a therapist and career coach working with adults throughout the pandemic, I have assisted people with a wide range of career concerns. I have worked with individuals who are reassessing their career goals in the context of the pandemic, looking for more flexibility as companies transition back to in-person workdays or languishing in their current role and looking to find fulfillment at work and in their personal life. Economists and workforce development professionals have been baffled by how to address the Great Resignation.
Since the pandemic began, employees are leaving the workforce or finding new work opportunities en masse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the U.S., more than 4 million Americans have left their jobs since September 2021.
What does this mean for STEM industries, which have historically been in high need for skilled workers? Every year there are thousands of unfilled positions in STEM. It is estimated that more than 3 million jobs in STEM will need to be filled by 2025.
The U.S. consistently lacks professionals in the STEM workforce and struggles with diversifying the STEM workforce. Specifically, the U.S. continues to lack Black women in STEM. The workforce gaps in STEM can be directly traced back to pipeline leaks in K-12 and post-secondary education. Beginning in high school, fewer women and racial minorities expect to have a career in STEM at age 30. Then, in college, significantly more men than women declare STEM majors and significantly more Asian and white students declare STEM majors when compared to their counterparts.
Continue reading: https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/16/black-women-stem-gap/
