With all of the doom and gloom we hear about the economy on a daily basis, it is nice to see a continual stream of articles about the availability of STEM-related jobs. Unfortunately, in some cases these positions are left unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers. At a time when unemployment rates are high, it is vital to have a workforce that is trained in high-demand areas like STEM. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is addressing this problem through its Advanced Technical Education (ATE) program that provides grants to increase STEM education, particularly in high-technology fields. ATE projects and centers are located throughout the country and cover a wide-variety of fields and issues. Through an NSF grant, OCCRL has been studying these ATE projects and centers with a particular focus on Applied Baccalaureate (AB) degree pathways.

What do you think needs to be done to increase STEM education?