Emerson Survey: 2 in 5 Americans Believe the STEM Worker Shortage is at Crisis Levels
Fourth Annual Survey Spotlights Growing Need for STEM Education and Awareness to Fill an Estimated 3.5
Million Jobs by 2025
Despite a national targeted focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and education over the past decade,
2 out of 5 Americans believe the STEM worker shortage is at crisis levels, according to results from the fourth annual STEM survey
by Emerson (NYSE: EMR) announced today.
While the survey found students today are twice as likely to study STEM fields compared to their parents, the number of roles
requiring STEM expertise is growing at a rate that exceeds current workforce capacity. In manufacturing alone, the National
Association of Manufacturing and Deloitte predict the U.S. will need to fill about 3.5 million jobs by 2025; yet as many as 2
million of those jobs may go unfilled, due to difficulty finding people with the skills in demand.
This critical STEM need is why Emerson has continued to invest in education across all levels and through its “We Love STEM”
program and partnership with YouTube’s self-proclaimed science nerd Hank Green.
“Emerson has been dedicated to elevating the criticality of STEM education for many years,” says Kathy Button Bell, senior vice
president and chief marketing officer for Emerson. “We have supported everything from collegiate engineering programs to hosting
‘We Love STEM’ days for our own employees’ children. This is a focal point of Emerson’s global values initiatives.”
Survey results show the industry has made some positive strides in STEM awareness, but there are opportunities to improve: Less
than 50 percent of parents say their daughter is encouraged to pursue a STEM career. This encouragement gap represents a
significant opportunity, as nearly half of respondents (48 percent) expect the number of STEM jobs in the U.S. will grow in the
next decade.
As perception of STEM careers shifts to include manufacturing, about 3 out of 4 (74 percent) respondents said they believe
manufacturing jobs are important to the U.S. economy, with 6 out of 10 (62 percent) agreeing that manufacturers should do more to
train and prepare their STEM workforce.
These business partnerships will become increasingly important, as the survey found only 1 in 3 adults (33 percent) believe
teachers currently have the resources they need to provide a quality STEM education. Emerson is helping address this issue through
its “We Love STEM” initiative and partnerships with universities and technical colleges, providing hands-on digital worker
experience for current students and to reskill workers. Two of Emerson’s recent educational investments include a manufacturing
incubator facility at Ranken Technical College in St. Louis and an automation technology center, to be named the Emerson Advanced
Automation Laboratory, at Texas A&M College of Engineering.
More information about Emerson’s “We Love STEM” program is available at Emerson.com/WeLoveSTEM.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global technology and engineering company providing
innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and residential markets. Our Emerson Automation Solutions business
helps process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturers maximize production, protect personnel and the environment while optimizing their
energy and operating costs. Our Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions business helps ensure human comfort and health,
protect food quality and safety, advance energy efficiency, and create sustainable infrastructure. For more information visit
Emerson.com.
For Emerson
Libby Panke, 314-982-8608
libby.panke@fleishman.com
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