Pennsylvania Wolf Administration Highlights STEM Education and Job Opportunities at Career Expo
CANONSBURG, Pa., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, more than 40 manufacturing and industry partners from around the commonwealth met with more than 500 students about possible career paths and opportunities at the Energy & Manufacturing Youth and Career Expo. Special Advisor to the Secretary of Education Judd Pittman and State Fire Commissioner Timothy Solobay were on hand to highlight the career opportunities available to Pennsylvania students through STEM education.
"By 2018, more than 300,000 Pennsylvania jobs will require STEM skills or content knowledge, and we are preparing our learners for those opportunities now," Pittman said. "It is vital to integrate STEM learning opportunities in the classroom to ensure not only the success of our students, but also the commonwealth's future economic stability."
Since taking office, Governor Wolf has demonstrated a commitment to STEM education and plans to increase enrollment in STEM-specific majors at state-supported postsecondary institutions by 10,000 by 2020. Over the next ten years, 71 percent of new jobs will require computer science skills. Recognizing this need, the Wolf Administration has made early and important progress in delivering more resources to schools and classrooms, and fostering collaborative, cross-sector dialogue to support STEM education, work-based learning, career pathways, and college access and completion.
"We learn more and more about the science of fire every day, and you only need to look at firefighting equipment from 20 years ago compared to today to see how changing technology helps us to put out fires faster and keep firefighters safe," Solobay said. "This is an exciting time to be a student in Pennsylvania, and I'm proud to help support STEM education and career opportunities in these fields."
Since 2009, the number of graduates from Pennsylvania's 14 public four-year universities earning degrees in STEM and Health majors (STEM-H) has increased 37 percent. Today, nearly one in four bachelor's degrees awarded by the State System are STEM-H degrees.
Pennsylvania has been named a national leader in STEM education, as:
- The commonwealth is home to five nationally-recognized STEM ecosystems, four emerging ecosystems, and other informal partnerships in place across the state;
- Pennsylvania ranks 4th nationally in the number of STEM graduates and ranks in the top 10 of states for technology and innovation, and is in the top 10 of states for STEM jobs; and
- Pennsylvania was recently highlighted as a promising state by the White House through its Computer Science for All (CSforAll) work.
For more information about the commonwealth's STEM initiatives, or to read Pennsylvania's ESSA Consolidated State Plan, visit the Department of Education's website at www.education.pa.gov or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
MEDIA CONTACT: Casey Smith, 717-783-9802
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Education
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