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W HERE ARE tomorrow's hot jobs? "STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future," a report by the United States Department of Commerce's Economics and Statistics Administration, paints a rosy picture for people working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fi elds. The report shows that growth in STEM jobs has been three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs through the last 10 years. And throughout the next decade, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent, compared to 9.8 percent growth for other occupations. The report predicts bright futures for those trained in the STEM fi elds. For example, when compared to their non- STEM counterparts, STEM workers earn 26 percent more on average and are less likely to experience joblessness. STEM degree holders enjoy higher earnings, regardless of their occupation. And no matter what their major, college graduates who work in a STEM job enjoy an earn- ings premium. Unfortunately, many U.S. businesses have frequently voiced concerns over the supply and availability of STEM workers, according to the report. Companies operat- ing on the forefront of technological in- novation need more of them. Yet in higher education, only about a third of bachelor's degrees earned in the U.S. are in a STEM fi eld, compared with approximately 53 percent of fi rst university degrees earned in China, and 63 percent of those earned in Japan. "When China has more gifted kids than we have kids there's going to be a problem," says Ray Mellado, CEO, chair- man of the board, Great Minds in STEM. All is not lost, however. The Obama Administration made a $206M commit- ment toward STEM training and related programs in the 2012 budget. The Role of Community Colleges Much of that investment is going to community colleges. The National Science Foundation's 2012 Science and Engineer- ing Indicators reports that community colleges provide an important and afford- able gateway for students entering higher education— with 46 percent of recent science and engineering (S&E;) bacca- laureate graduates indicating that they earned college credit from a community or two-year college at some point in their aca- S&E; doctorate holders indicating that they earned college credit from a community or two-year college. "Community colleges are working closely with four-year institutions when designing curriculum," reports Ellen Hause, director for innovative learning and student success, American Association of Community Colleges. "For instance, Penn State has a nanotechnology center that partners with community colleges and offers a Capstone semester where students PHOTOS COURTESY OF STANTEC MAD SKILLZ. An overwhelming number of current and future jobs require some form of basic STEM skills and understand- ing, and if workers are not tech-savvy when they enter the workforce, they are not going to be successful. Community colleges are stepping up to provide those skills, and in some cases can help graduates to move into high-paying, secure jobs. In addition, industries must help community colleges to make more transferable, widely useful certifi cation and degree programs, so that students have more workforce mobility. demic careers. In addition, the report cites the signifi cance of community colleges in educating individuals with advanced S&E; credentials — with one out of fi ve recent Gone is the stigma of spending the fi rst two years in a community col- lege. In fact, it might turn to an advantage as class sizes are smaller, teachers are often professors as opposed to teaching as- sistants, and the cost is a fraction of other schools. can work on their equipment before trans- ferring over." She also points to colleges working closely with industry to create certifi ed technicians. "Some schools have their own wind farms so students will have actual turbines to work on," she says. When it comes to STEM, community colleges have two distinct roles: certifying technicians for the workforce or providing the fi rst two years of a bachelor's degree. "Community colleges have always provided a vital service in certifying technicians," says Mellado. "For instance, Microsoft has seven levels of certifi cation. Many commu- nity colleges will offer a program like that in lieu of an associate's degree." NOVEMBER 2012 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 19