Needed: Sy(STEM)ic Response. How California's Public Colleges and Universities Are Key to Strengthening the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Health Workforce
Author: Byrd, Daniel
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: STEM Education,Public Colleges,College Role,Labor Force Development,Knowledge Economy,Population Distribution,Population Trends,Labor Demands,Labor Supply,Emerging Occupations,College Graduates,Graduation Rate,Racial Distribution,Health Occupations,Health Education,Higher Education,Role of Education,Change Strategies

California is at a crossroads in terms of STEM and health workforce development. On the one hand, California has more available entry-level STEM jobs than any other state in the country and a steadily growing health workforce, giving large segments of its population access to stable careers. On the other hand, California's public colleges and universities rank poorly compared to other states in terms of producing the college graduates needed to fill many of those jobs. Several reasons contribute to California's poor performance in producing STEM and health graduates, including: (1) California sends too few of its high school graduates directly to four-year universities; (2) state funding for higher education is not sufficient to properly maintain and expand STEM and health programs; (3) transfer pathways for community colleges students seeking to major in STEM and health fields are limited; (4) STEM completion rates within the CSU system are relatively low; (5) STEM and health associate degree production within the California Community Colleges is also relatively low; (6) the availability of STEM and health programs within the public higher education system is extremely limited; and (7) racial disparities persist in access to and success in STEM and health programs. The good news is that California is a leader in technological innovation, and has a large and diverse young population that is poised to be the next generation of STEM and health workers needed to meet the state's future economic needs. Recommendations include: (1) Create a statewide plan for higher education; (2) Increase enrollment capacity within California's public universities; (3) Invest in California's public higher education system; (4) Prioritize the development of STEM and health transfer pathways; (5) Improve college readiness and college completion in STEM for CSU students; and (6) Close equity gaps in STEM and health education. Appended are: (1) California's STEM Workforce; (2) California's Health Workforce; (3) Population Estimates for 18-24-year olds; (4) Health and Related Professions Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (5) Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (6) Engineering Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (7) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Computer Science; (8) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Health; and (9) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Engineering. [This report was written with contributions from Michele Siqueiros and Audrey Dow. Additional funding for this project was provided by the Sand Hill Foundation and the Vons Foundation.]