WASHINGTON, April 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's top employers will join industry thought leaders at the Global STEM Talent Summit on April 28th, 2016, in Washington DC to address action for filling millions of skilled jobs. Led by STEMconnector®, the leading organization working closely with industry, higher education, NGOs and the public sector to provide resources that support corporate development and smart STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) investments. The Summit is the first step in this private sector initiative to tackle the STEM talent gap.

"The Global STEM Talent Summit is a major industry-led step in seeking to solve the STEM talent gap that exists in the US and in many other parts of the world," said Dr. Heidi Kleinbach-Sauter, Senior Vice President of R&D, PepsiCo and Chairwoman of the Global STEM Talent Summit. "It is now critical for the private sector to convene and create an actionable plan to develop at scale solutions to future proof economic growth."

The day-long event serves as a platform for discussion, sharing best practices in STEM talent development strategies, networking and taking collective action to drive scale and speed in helping to solve for the STEM shortfall. Together with its 25 strategic partners, STEMconnector® will outline a three-year strategic roadmap that aims to drive sustainable impact and deliver tangible solutions to diminish the STEM talent gap in the US.

"Business leaders have set the tone by ramping up investments and engagement in STEM education in order to prepare the next generation of skilled talent necessary to drive innovation and economic growth," said Edie Fraser, Chief Executive Officer of STEMconnector®. "Now we need to shift our focus of turning investments in education into a sustainable, long-term talent pool."

Over the past decade, growth in STEM jobs was three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs, according to Texas State University. Developing and retaining high-skilled STEM workers is crucial for employers. At the 2016 Global STEM Talent Summit, employers will share professional short and long- term STEM talent development models and best practices for training their employees and retaining high-skilled STEM talent.

Multiple industries, each with their own unique challenges, will be represented at the event. According to The World Health Organization the world is short by more than seven million doctors, nurses, and others who administer care, and this will grow to 12.9 million healthcare workers by 2035. Symantec noted that six million cybersecurity jobs will be created by 2019, and 1.5 million of those jobs will go unfilled by 2024.

The 2016 STEMconnector® strategic partners include Apollo Education Group, APCO Worldwide, AT&T, BAE Systems, BP, Burning Glass, Carnival Corporation, Cengage Learning, Centene Corporation, Cigna, Dassault Systems, Deloitte, FedEx, Gallup, Honeywell, Hope Street Group, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Monsanto, Monster, PepsiCo, Smiths Group, Sodexo, Tata Consultancy Services, and Walmart.

Announcing the 100 CEO Leaders in STEM

At the Global STEM Talent Summit STEMconnector® will release 100 CEO Leaders in STEM, a publication that highlights the exceptional leaders contributing to the advancement of STEM careers around the world. The publication showcases the commitment, initiatives and values of 100 CEOs actively working towards a strong talent pipeline, and their companies. Excerpts include:

• "The formula for innovation and growth in today's digital economy begins and ends with a workforce that has the right skills….businesses that fail to invest the time and resources to train, attract and retain the best talent will be left behind."  Randall L Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T
• "The technological reality is a call to companies to think boldly and pragmatically to solve complex problems…. It's doubling our investment in innovation in the next three years so we can help companies shape next-generation capabilities and solutions."  Cathy Engelbert, CEO, Deloitte LLP
• "Careers in STEM industries offer better compensation and more career advancement opportunities….Everyone benefits when our girls and young women can make full use of their abilities and supporting STEM Mentoring is a clear win-win."   Lorna Donatone, CEO of Sodexo School Worldwide and President of Sodexo North America

Join us at the Global STEM Talent Summit
The Global STEM Talent Summit will be held on April 28, 2016 at the Gallup World Headquarters in Washington, DC. For more information visit http://globalsummit.stemconnector.org/

For individuals unable to join in-person, a live steam of the event will be available for remote viewing. Conversations can be tracked on social media by using the hashtag #GSTS2016.

About STEMconnector®
STEMconnector® is a consortium of companies, associations, societies, policy organizations, government entities, universities and academic institutions concerned with STEM education and the future of human capital. With several products and services, STEMconnector® is both a resource and a service, designed to link "all things STEM." STEMconnector's network includes organizations at the global, national, state and local levels. STEMconnector® focuses on the STEM workforce and jobs, with a particular emphasis on diversity and women. Our work spans the entire pipeline (Kindergarten to Jobs) and how STEM education experiences translate into careers.

Event Program

Master of Ceremonies: Rob Denson, President, Des Moines Area Community College, Chairman, SHEC

7:30-8:30am Registration Opens

8:30-8:45am Welcome to the 2016 Global STEM Talent Summit:

• Edie Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, STEMconnector & Million Women Mentors
• Lorena Fimbres, Vice President and Chief Development Officer, STEMconnector

Announcement of the 100 CEO Leaders in STEM: Sponsored by Bank of America - Merrill Lynch

8:45-9:15am Global STEM Talent Pipeline - The Burning Problem

• Dr. Heidi Kleinbach-Sauter, Senior Vice President Global R&D, PepsiCo, Chair, GSTS

9:15-9:45am Global Jobs Report 2015

• Jon Clifton, Managing Partner, Gallup

9:45-10:45am Panel 1: Career-Focused Experiential Learning: An Unlock For STEM 2.0

• Al Bunshaft, Chief Executive Officer,Dassault Systemes Government Solutions
• Martin Scaglione, President & CEO, Hope Street Group
• George Moore, EVP, Chief Technology Officer, Cengage Learning
• Rob Denson, President, Des Moines Area Community College

• Moderator: Frank Sesno, Director-School of Media & Public Affairs, George Washington University

10:45-11:00am Networking Break

11:00-12:00pm Panel 2: Professional Development Models for Retaining High-Skill Workers

• John Staines, Human Resources Officer-Global Information Technology, Cigna
• Steve Rae, Chief Professional Development Officer, Apollo Education Group
• Jenny Morr, Assistant Vice President-Technology & Development, AT&T
• Sharon Wibben, Senior Vice President-Global HR, Walmart
• DeEtte Gray, President, Intelligence & Security, BAE Systems
• Moderator: John Hughes, Editor, Bloomberg LLP, Former President of National Press Club

12:00-1:00pm Lunch: Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson

• Opening remarks by Dr. Heidi Kleinbach-Sauter, Senior Vice President Global R&D, PepsiCo, Chair, GSTS

Keynote Address—Meeting the Challenges of Healthcare Talent

• Dr. Joanne Waldstreicher, Chief Medical Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Keynote Address—Fire Side Chat - Technology Talent for All

• Surya Kant, President-North America, UK and Europe, Tata Consultancy Services
• Edie Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, STEMconnector & Million Women Mentors

1:00-2:00pm 3: Industry Specific Needs for STEM Talent

• Gary Eppinger, Global Chief Information Security Officer, Carnival
• Melissa Harper, Vice President Talent Acquisition & Chief Diversity Officer, Monsanto
• Ray Dempsey, Vice President & Head of External Affairs, BP
• Allyson Knox, Director of Education Policy & Programs, Microsoft
• Sean Healy, Senior Vice President-Strategic Planning & Engineering, FedEx Freight

Moderator: Kevin Krolicki, Bureau Chief, Thomson-Reuters in Washington

2:00-3:00pm  4: Effective Utilization of STEM Information Resources - Featuring the Launch of the STEM Talent Resource Hub

• Recognition of Jane Oates, Vice President, Apollo Education

Panel:

• Sarah Harris, General Counsel, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
• William J. Wiatrowski, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Matt Sigelman, Chief Executive Officer, Burning Glass Technologies
• Mary Mason, SVP, Chief Medical Officer, Centene Corporation

• Moderator: Edie Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, STEMconnector & Million Women Mentors

3:00-3:10pm Break

3:10-3:40pm Keynote Address

• Dr. Mehmood Khan, Vice Chairman, Chief Scientific Officer, PepsiCo

3:40-4:40pm Panel 5: Global Talent Development - Leadership Panel

• Michael Norris, Chief Executive Officer - Heathcare, Sodexo North America
• Seema Kumar, VP of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication, Johnson & Johnson
• Nina Vaca, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Pinnacle Group
• Craig Giffi, Vice Chairman, Automotive Industry Leader, Deloitte
• Griff Davenport, Chief Executive Officer, DLR Group

• Moderator: Sam Fleming, Economics Editor, Financial Times

3:40-4:40pm Transitioning from STEM Theory to STEM Praxis, LET'S ACT!

• Dr. Heidi Kleinbach-Sauter, Senior Vice President Global R&D, PepsiCo, Chair, GSTS
• Rob Denson, President, Des Moines Area Community College

SOURCE STEMconnector