Good analysis on the WashACE blog this week, this time looking at the legislature’s accomplishments with regard to STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math). STEM has been the buzz word around the state in recent years, particularly as news of Washington’s skills gap (the distance between the skills workers have and the skills needed for employment) make it clear that we need a fix Washington leaky education pipeline. Here’s a tidbit:
Washington can only maintain its number-one state ranking in the concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs if we ensure a high-quality and homegrown work force, says Barbara Hulit, senior vice president of Danaher Corporation, in a recent Everett Herald guest editorial. “Unfortunately, this is not currently the case. Our state has the second-fastest growing gap between the STEM jobs our economy is generating and the skills our students are learning. You don’t have to be a math major to know this isn’t sustainable.” During the recent legislative session, Washington lawmakers passed HB 1872 which, according to Hulit, will bring about “greater coordination, innovation, and accountability of STEM education efforts statewide.”
Link through for the full WashACE post and to read Hulit’s commentary.