2015 Issue

52 The STEM Action Center’s projects focus on assessment and out- comes, with the goal to provide data and information that can help to inform decisions made by educational partners as they design and implement best practices. The projects are designed to promote innovative approaches to professional development for K-12 educators by: • Improving Career and Technical Education through more hands-on, applied learning opportunities for engineering and computer sciences, • Making digital learningmath tools available to K-12 classrooms, • Supporting industry-recognized STEM certification for high school students • Designing and implementing an elementary STEM endorse- ment. Dr. Tami Goetz, the executive director for the Utah STEM Action Center, indicates that the STEMAction Center “was established to help provide a solid foundation for the STEM community to grow and flourish through collaborations between K-12, higher educa- tion, industry, government agencies and community and cultural partners.” She adds “that if our STEMcommunity puts the students and teachers first in all that we do then everyone wins.” UTAH’S INDUSTRY STEPS UP Utah’s companies are a critical component of the STEM equation. No one will argue that focusing on STEM education in the K-16 classroom is essential. But what about that next step for a student once he or she leaves the hallowed halls of Utah’s educational institutions? That is where Utah’s STEM-related companies have taken a bold stand. Utah companies, along with their trade organizations, are working with the STEMAction Center to encourage funding and additional resources that support efforts that engage students in STEM-related pathways and give them the tools and resources to be successful. Why? Utah companies need STEM talent. It is just that simple. They are passionate about Utah’s most precious resource…..it’s students and they want to help. Last year, heeding the Governor’s challenge to support STEMedu- cation, businesses in Utah launched a more than $2 million media campaign to increase interest in STEM education. And if that’s not exciting enough, some of Utah’s companies stepped up for a soccer tournament in September and battled it out—company against company—all in the name of STEM. The games ended and the real work started as businesses enjoyed a network opportunity where they discussed how they could invest in Utah’s future workforce, with particular emphasis paid to STEM. Other businesses are finding ways to contribute. For example, last August, Pluralsight—a global leader in online training for technol- ogy and creative professionals—unveiled its new headquarters and announced along with Governor Gary R. Herbert, that they would give Utah’s K-12 teachers a one-year subscription to the company’s online training library, allowing them to become versed on the very knowledge and training that will help their students become career ready and fill the growing talent dearth within the technology community. ENGINEERING DEMAND IN UTAH Utah’s government gets it. Utah’s industry gets it. Utah gets it. There’s a demand for STEM jobs. There’s a demand for scientists, technology innovators, mathematicians and ENGINEERS. The need for engineers in Utah is evident wherever you look from workforce data to online job placement services. If one goes to Monster.com there are currently over 1,500 engineering related jobs posted with 673 of those in Salt Lake City. The current job outlook from the Utah Department of Workforce Services indicates that six of the 16 fastest growing jobs requiring a Bachelor’s Degree are engineering-related. The emphasis ap- pears to be in the fields of electrical and computer engineering, however the demand for mechanical engineers is not far behind. The current need for engineers, which will be compounded by the increase in the number of new retirees, will create amazing oppor- tunities, as well as challenges. There has never been a better time to step up to these challenges and provide rewarding career options for our students as well as help our Utah companies to grow and be successful. It is grati- fying that a simple thing like an acronym, STEM, can bring a community together to support education and economic prosperity in Utah. STEM EDUCATION IN UTAH | continued from page 51 The STEMAction Center, with help fromGoldman Sachs, the Utah Technology Council, Comcast and Real Salt Lake hosted a STEM Utah Corporate Soccer Tournament, September 22 from 2 p.m.- 4p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium, in a joint effort to support marketing the study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to Utah’s school population.