A vast majority of Americans trust science – and view increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as important – according to the recent 3M State of Science Index, co-sponsored by Ipsos. The study found that 89% of Americans trust science, 86% of Americans trust scientists and 58% believe science is important to their everyday lives.
But Americans also believe more can be done to create additional opportunities in science fields. On the question of diversity in STEM, 87% of survey respondents said they believe increasing diversity in STEM is important and 82% believe women are an untapped source of potential in STEM professions. The current period of economic uncertainty has caused many tech companies to freeze hiring or begin layoffs, leading to worries that those cost-cutting measures could undo any progress that tech companies have made in diversifying their workforces.
This would put the country on the wrong path in its attempt to diversify STEM ranks.
The reality is that underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM continues to challenge the industry. To reflect the demographics of the United States, women and Black STEM workers would need to double, according to the National Science Board. For Latinos, the number of workers in the field would need to triple; NSB estimates that to achieve adequate representation, more than a million Latino workers would need to be added to the STEM workforce.
Part of the solution might be in the growth of the “skilled technical workforce” – those jobs that require STEM knowledge and technical skills but which don’t require a college degree. But states with large minority populations – Texas, Florida, Arizona and New York, for example – also lag national averages in potential STEM-trained workers. It’s a conundrum that is working against the creation of a larger, more diverse STEM workforce.
Smith’s Work to Increase Opportunities for the Underrepresented in STEM
Robert F. Smith supports expanding opportunities for women and minorities in STEM in various ways. Smith is the founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation, an organization created to invest in opportunity expansion in Black and Brown communities. Fund II Foundation donated $48 million to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to establish a scholarship to support Black students pursuing STEM education. Named the Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars program, the scholarship is set to support 500 Black students over the next five years.
Learn more about Smith’s work to increase STEM diversity.
