I wanted to repeat something I did last year and recognize people who I feel have moved the conversation about #chemjobs-related issues forward in the last year:
Robert N. Charette of IEEE Spectrum, for his August article "The STEM Crisis Is A Myth." I think it's terribly important to address the STEM shortage myth issues from the IT/computers side, and Charette's article did just that. It has quotes from the usual suspects (the Ron Hiras and Michael Teitelbaums of the world), but it also pulls in a lot of serious policy analysis from RAND and other august institutions. A really helpful article, I thought.
For the second year in a row, Sophie Rovner, Susan Ainsworth and Linda Wang of Chemical and Engineering News for their tireless coverage of chemist employment and unemployment. I really liked Sophie Rovner's article in the Employment Outlook edition this year, probably more than I expressed on the blog at the time. I'm planning on returning to this article, especially as 2014 progresses.
These reporters have a much bigger microphone than I do. I tend to yell at reporters when they get things wrong; it makes me happy when I feel that writers and reporters get things right.
2013 was a weird year, especially with all the rumblings about hiring at the same time as actual layoffs increased.
Best wishes to all of us for a less-weird, more happy new year in 2014. Talk to you then.
It's good management principles to provide good feedback as well as bad feedback. The good is probably more important.
ReplyDeleteChem employment has been covered more this year than I remember in the past. This is a good thing!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a building wave of stories about a STEM job shortage myth, but it hasn't really infiltrated the top yet. Politicians still refer to STEM as some kind of magic bullet employment program.
A magic bullet for employment? That sounds like a great idea. Let's use one of those!
DeleteWhat I am waiting for are the stories that say "STEM funding in crisis." Honestly, with the stagnant wages and the competition for the few jobs that are posted it seems to make more sense. Remember the economists predictions (I don't, but I read) that after WWII the United States would re-enter the depression. Well, we didn't, and it took nearly thirty years for someone to correlate the increase in scientific research funding with the growth in the economy (dubbed "exogenous input"). Training people for jobs is all well and good, providing money and space and an intellectual environment for research is what is needed at this point. And I'm not just talking about federal government dollars either here. BTW, I know this isn't the "magic bullet" either but it seems that (steady and long-term) economic growth and scientific funding are heavily correlated across the globe.
ReplyDeleteThere was a big article in yesterday's paper here in Delaware about how sequestration is hitting the university, especially DOD grantees. It's the first I've really seen in the mainstream press.
DeleteOnly wish politicians are not short sighted. Or experts not lawyers should be the one assign budget.
ReplyDelete