CONCLUSION: THE URGENCY At the beginning of this report it was noted that 74 percent of people entering this U.S. workforce this decade are Hispanics. In the decade of the 2020’s that proportion will only increase, and that decade’s Hispanic workforce is already in our schools in large and growing numbers. To fail to provide the best educational opportunities, especially the best STEM educational opportunities, is to abandon the nation to a cadre of workers underprepared for the jobs of the future and to increase our STEM dependence on the global labor market. Both of these are costly consequences, in both economic and social terms. Because we are talking about the workforce that is already in the pipeline, there is an urgency to fixing the educational issues that are depriving us of this potential talent pool. We already are seeking work-arounds to meet the STEM workforce needs. If we fail to increase the STEM participation of the youngest and fastest-growing segment of our population, we risk endangering our STEM innovation and the economic development so dependent upon it. School districts that enroll the vast majority of students underrepresented in STEM education and post-secondary institutions with similar enrollments are the proverbial backbone of America’s STEM workforce. HSIs play a prominent role in their preparation and competitiveness for current and emerging STEM careers. As such, they need to be equitably supported by government and society to ensure the nation’s competitiveness in our global economy.
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RETHINKING POLICY AND PRACTICE FOR STEM EDUCATION: NEW HISPANIC PERSPECTIVES
