STEM Worker Shortage: Does It Exist and Is Education To Blame? from EdWriters on Vimeo.
Video is of Linda Rosen of Change The Equation (who I've tangled with here) and the excellent Michael Teitelbaum (noted STEM shortage skeptic.) Good stuff, thanks to the Education Writers Association.
Thanks to Ms. Rosen, I learned that Jonathan Rothwell of Brookings' even more expansive version of STEM workers, which, believe it or not, includes carpenters and plumbers.
It's called "miscategorization." It must be interesting to work for a organization based on a logical fallacy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/06/us-usa-immigration-regulations-idUSBREA450QL20140506?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=71&google_editors_picks=true
ReplyDeleteCarpenters and plumbers are indeed skilled workers but STEM? C'mon let's not be silly. If you have to exaggerate to prove your point... Seriously, if there's a carpenter and plumber shortage lets just say so.
ReplyDeleteThe very concept of "STEM" is ludicrous. Rosen and Rothwell are just stretching the concept to its breaking point.
DeleteThe BLS attempts to keep track of individual professions...if there's an acute shortage of ANY OF THEM, these wonks and lobbyists could just say so. There's absolutely no need to group them...unless they're intentionally trying to conflate the numbers, that is. (Conflation is another logical fallacy, BTW.)
Typical political tactic. When losing a debate, change the definitions so that you're correct and ignore any and all challenges that the new definitions are inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to know from where Brookings got their numbers. An engineering teacher makes more than all other engineers except ChemEs? Hmm...
So by Rosen's and Brooking's definition everyone that adds two numbers together at any point in their career should be lumped into the M of STEM. Congrats to everyone in the banking industry from tellers all the way up to the CEO, you're now a STEM worker! I'm pretty sure anyone and everyone currently employed could be lumped into the STEM category because in some shape, way, or form, the reason they have a job at all is because it was developed through science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
Now there's a powerful definition for STEM: the foundation upon which all employment is based.