Exactly what does STEM mean? It’s a term many are familiar with, but don’t necessarily understand. STEM is a short form for four areas of study that are science, technology, engineering and maths. The fields are related because of similarities that they share in theory and practice.
There’s been a significant push in recent years to fill STEM jobs in the United States. Despite a focus on filling STEM-related jobs, American companies can’t fill their STEM jobs at an appropriate pace. According to the National Association of Manufacturing and Deloitte, 2 million manufacturing jobs are expected to go empty until 2025. This is due to a skill gap (Deloitte Review pdf source). Despite talent being less in some industries, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that occupations in the STEM field are expected to grow by 10.5% through 2030, compared with 7.5% for non-STEM occupations.