Nanotechnology Careers Presented by Morton M. Sternheim July, 2014

STEM Careers In 2012, there were 14 million people unemployed people in the U.S. and 3 million unfilled STEM jobs -- There is a STEM skills gap! U.S. News & World Report STEM Solutions 2012 Leadership Summit: June 27-29, 2012http://usnewsstemsolutions.com/

STEM Skills - Mathematical literacy - Ability to apply STEM knowledge to real-world situations - There are jobs at all educational levels – 2 year college, 4 year, PhD - There are many technician-level jobs - Need many STEM-skilled people for sophisticated jobs in manufacturing - Typically, students are not aware of the types of jobs a STEM education can lead to Science DOI: /science.caredit.a Michael Price July 6, 2012

STEM Employment STEM employment grew over 3 x faster than the total workforce between 1950 and 2007 (NSF, 2010) STEM employment is expected to continue to grow faster in the next decade than the overall workforce (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009) Growth in STEM degrees has not kept pace with the overall demand, and the gap has been filled by foreign-born scientists and engineers

Number of STEM employees % of workforce

The S&E workforce has grown steadily over time Between 1960 and 2011, the number of workers in S&E occupations grew at an average annual rate of 3.3%, greater than the 1.5% growth rate for the total workforce. S&E employment compared favorably to overall employment trends during and after the 2007–09 economic downturn. Between 2006 and 2012, the number of workers employed in S&E occupations rose slightly, whereas the total workforce shrank. (NSF, 2014)

The S&E workforce has grown steadily over time (cont) Unemployment rates for those in S&E occupations tend to be lower than those for all college graduates and much lower than those for the overall labor force. In October 2010, an estimated 4.3% of scientists and engineers and 5.1% of all college-educated individuals in the labor force were unemployed. At the same time, the official unemployment rate for the entire U.S. labor force was 9.0%. (NSF, 2014)

STEM Graduates stay in STEM jobs (NSF, 2014)

STEM Employment Projections The U.S. is expected to face a serious shortage of skilled workers in STEM fields over the next twenty years (NAS, 2007; ACT, 2006). Depending on one’s definition, 60 to 80% of the 30 fastest growing occupations are STEM or IT related. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010)

Educating a Nanotech Workforce National Nanotechnology Initiative "Small Wonders" (2001) A need for 2 million nanotechnology workers worldwide by Lux Research report “Hiring Nanotech Talent” (2007) Nanotech teams are poised to grow 74% by % of companies surveyed feel a shortage of nanotech talent. Scientists on development teams will shrink to 40%, as engineering grows to 25% and sales and marketing to 22% of future hires. Recent data/projections?

25% growth rate  3 x in 5 yrs, 9 x in 10 yrs

Caveat The forecasts have limitations. The Labor Department's macroeconomic model works on two noteworthy assumptions—that the economy will rebound to long-term growth and that there won't be any more big shocks like the recession. Thus its forecasts don't predict the big job-market swings or sudden changes in the supply of workers that can easily happen in a volatile economy.

Caveat, cont. That means you could pick a job from the Labor Department's "fastest-growing" list when you enter college, only to find the field in a slump by the time you graduate. For example, a 2006 high-school graduate eyeing the government's forecast for nursing at that time would have read about excellent job prospects, with "thousands of job openings" predicted because experienced nurses were expected to retire. (That did not happen.) Wall Street Journal, 2010

Nanotechnology is an example of Interdisciplinary Collaboration at work People from diverse fields working together -- more rapidly solving important problems in our society Physics Chemistry Biology Materials Science Polymer Science Electrical Engineering Chemical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Medicine And others

Key Points for Students STEM jobs at all levels offer great opportunities for engaging and rewarding careers. STEM salaries are higher than average for college grads and for all workers (NSF, 2014). STEM employment is more stable than average (NSF, 2014). Nanotechnology offers excellent opportunities at all STEM educational levels, with applications to a wide range of fields.

References NSF, Science and Engineering Indicators 2010, NSF, Science and Engineering Indicators 2010, US Department of Labor, Occupational employment projections to NAS, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, D.C., The National Academies Press.

References, cont. ACT, Developing the STEM Education Pipeline. Washington, D.C., ACT U.S. Department of Labor, 2010.Employment Projections Program. Wall Street Journal, May 25, html html

What are nano careers and fields that might appeal to your students? Subject Groups discuss career ideas List 5-10 ideas ~ 5 minutes Report on Moodle