Emerson Global STEM Survey Shows Growing Interest in STEM Careers But Lack of Encouragement, Especially for Women
August 19 2019 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Fifth annual survey finds stereotyping about
gender a key barrier for women entering STEM fields
As the world faces a skilled workforce gap, the fifth annual
STEM survey by Emerson (NYSE: EMR) found that 6 out of 10 Americans
are interested in pursuing STEM careers – but fewer than 4 in 10
(39%) have felt encouraged to do so. The disparity is even more
pronounced among women: 2 out of 3 U.S. women say they were not
encouraged to pursue a career in STEM.
While the survey found that younger generations across the globe
are three times more likely to be encouraged to pursue STEM careers
than generations before them, there are still several critical gaps
to address – particularly as industries continue to report that
they cannot find individuals with the skills required for today’s
advanced workplaces. For example, the National Association of
Manufacturers found that more than 70% of manufacturers are
concerned about finding workers with appropriate skills.
“As automation and technology become truly ingrained in our
workplaces and schools, there’s a growing urgency to prepare the
workforce with STEM skills that will be critical to the continued
strength of the global economy,” said David N. Farr, chairman and
chief executive officer for Emerson. “We want to lead the charge in
making strategic investments that will provide both the current and
future workforce with the right skillsets to succeed in one of the
many tremendous careers made available through STEM – from software
development to new technologies in manufacturing.”
Empowering more qualified workers of both genders to explore a
STEM career could have a significant impact on the workforce gap.
Of the women who said they were not encouraged to pursue STEM
careers, most attributed this missed opportunity in the workforce
to stereotypes against women and a lack of female role models in
the field.
To keep up with the rapid pace of change, workers of both
genders are increasingly looking to their employers to address
these upskilling needs: 79% of global respondents said they believe
companies should do more to train and prepare their STEM workforce.
The growing emphasis in boosting STEM education is little surprise,
as most of the world (94%) say they consider STEM education
important to their respective country’s future.
Despite this universal understanding of the importance of STEM,
less than half of people surveyed believe their country is ahead in
STEM innovation. Creating an environment where everyone is
encouraged to pursue STEM can help address this perception – and
contribute to growing the global STEM workforce.
“Empowering individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the
tools necessary to thrive in STEM is a crucial step in solving the
growing talent gap across several key industries,” said Kathy
Button Bell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for
Emerson. “We have long been dedicated to fostering a culture at
Emerson that attracts and advances women through a variety of
initiatives, including our 4,000-member Women in STEM group, which
provides support and mentoring for our female engineers
globally.”
Emerson is helping to address this skills gap issue for people
of all ages through its “We Love STEM” initiatives, partnerships
with more than 350 universities and technical colleges worldwide,
and investments in employee training. Emerson’s recent STEM
investments include the Performance Learning Platform, which
enables hands-on training for current employees; training facility
and equipment updates for Singapore Polytechnic; automation
training technology centers at the University of Texas at Austin
and Texas A&M College of Engineering; and an automation
technology center at Colorado State University.
More information about Emerson’s “We Love STEM” initiatives is
available at Emerson.com/WeLoveSTEM.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA),
is a global technology and engineering company providing innovative
solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and residential
markets. Our Automation Solutions business helps process, hybrid
and discrete manufacturers maximize production, protect personnel
and the environment while optimizing their energy and operating
costs. Our Commercial & Residential Solutions business helps
ensure human comfort and health, protect food quality and safety,
advance energy efficiency and create sustainable infrastructure.
For more information, visit Emerson.com.
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For Emerson Caitlin Davis 314-982-8706
caitlin.davis@fleishman.com
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