To Keep America Great Students Must Be Taught to Innovate
Rodney C. Adkins

The United States risks becoming a nation of consumers, not creators

Innovation has always been a mainstay of successful enterprises. Think about how innovations like the steam engine, the transistor, and the Internet-built business created industries and powered economic growth. The same can be said for individuals. Those who create the next great innovations -- and not just consume them -- will be the biggest winners in tomorrow's economy.

That is why it is increasingly important for students to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). History has shown that those who have strong math and science skills will be the innovators of tomorrow. And the United States needs these creators to grow our economy and generate new jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 5 percent of U.S. workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, but they are responsible for more than 50 percent of our sustained economic expansion.

Yet there are some alarming trends that indicate we are at risk of becoming a country of consumers, not creators. According to the National Science Foundation, the percentage of U.S. students studying math, science, and engineering has decreased from 21 percent in the 1980s to approximately 16 percent today. And overall math and science test scores of 15-year-old students in the United States continue to lag behind those of many other countries. In fact, in the most recent Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test scores, the United States was below the average score in math and only at the average in science.

A look at the latest U.S. census data is also a cause for concern. America's shifting demographics make it especially important that we encourage minority students to pursue science and engineering education. Today, 43 percent of school-age children are of African-American, Latino, or Native American descent. Yet of more than 70,000 U.S. engineering bachelor's degrees in 2009, less than 13 percent were awarded to under-represented minorities, according to the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. If the United States is to remain competitive in a global economy, we will need to reconcile these opposing trends.

Just as successful companies invest in research and development to produce future innovations, so too must all levels of government invest in STEM education to produce future innovators. But to fully develop a new generation of innovators, the United States also needs greater public-private partnerships that encourage more students to study STEM.

The Obama administration started its "Educate to Innovate" campaign with that goal in mind. The national program aims to improve the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering, and math through combined efforts from the federal government and leading companies, foundations, and nonprofits.

The private sector can also make a difference at the local level. The James Dyson Foundation, for example, sponsors after-school engineering clubs at 20 public schools in Chicago. And IBM is a partner in a new school for grades 9 to 14 in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Pathways in Technology Early College High School. The school -- a collaboration between IBM, the New York City Department of Education, New York City College of Technology, and City University of New York -- is focused on STEM education. Its students will graduate with an associate's degree, along with the skills and knowledge they need to continue their studies or transition directly into jobs in the information technology industry.

Another simple yet successful private-sector approach lies in "transition to teaching" programs. Such programs help fill the demand for new math and science teachers by streamlining the teacher certification process and making second careers in education more attractive to employees who are near retirement. IBM's program, for example, includes company-paid tuition, leaves of absence, and other support, such as mentoring, to interested employees.

Finally, private companies can help shape curricula to reflect industry trends and the needs of modern employers. Take service industries, which now account for approximately 75 percent of all jobs in the United States and virtually all projected employment growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The private sector can help universities update their curricula to prepare students for these industries. IBM, for one, is working with universities to develop coursework in service science, management, and engineering (SSME). The National Association of Manufacturers is leading a similar effort to establish standardized curricula at community colleges with the goal of preparing students for industrial skills.

Here's a telling statistic about the failure to innovate: Of the top 25 industrial corporations in the United States in 1900, only two remained on that list at the start of the 1960s. And of the top 25 companies in 1960, only six remain there today. This week marks IBM's centennial, a significant milestone for any company, and especially a company in the technology industry. In its 100 years as an international business, IBM has learned that innovation is the key to vitality. Constant innovation allows a company to build a business for tomorrow while it manages the businesses of today. To compete in a global, high-tech, and ever-evolving economy, the United States must find new and creative ways to invest in the science, technology, engineering, and math education that fuels innovation. We cannot be content to become a nation of technology consumers. By fostering STEM education, the United States can become a land of creators, and the birthplace of 100 more IBMs.

 

Rodney C. Adkins is senior vice president of IBM's Systems & Technology Group

 

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