America has a pipeline problem that has nothing to do with oil. There are simply not enough young adults entering the workforce equipped to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy. According to the National Science Foundation, employment in STEM fields has grown sixfold since the 1960s.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that STEM occupations are growing at 17%, nearly double that of other careers. Eighty percent of professions are expected to require STEM skills in the next decade, and yet less than half of students are graduating high school with the prerequisite STEM courses. This whitepaper starts the dialogue about how educators can partner with tourism professionals, public entities, and private industry to combat this nationwide epidemic.
