With the nation’s unemployment rate down to five percent and on the verge of dipping into the fours, skills shortages have predictably emerged in many occupational categories. Sometimes, these shortages translate into mere inconvenience. But on other occasions, these shortages have broad societal implications.
Such is the case with the ongoing shortage of teachers in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines or STEM. There are presently about one hundred thousand openings for teaching positions in STEM fields. As reported by CNN, a New York nonprofit, 100K in 10, is helping to fill these openings.
The nonprofit seeks to help train and place one hundred thousand new STEM teachers by twenty-twenty one. 100K in 10 serves as a facilitator linking public and private partners. What began as a group of twenty eight corporations, universities and nonprofits has ballooned into an initiative with more than two hundred and thirty partners. AT&T has put one million dollars toward STEM education initiatives. Lockheed Martin has pledged another half a million dollars. The effort is working. 100kin10 recently announced that its partners have helped train and place twenty eight thousand STEM teachers over the past four years.
