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Key points:
With career interests and aspirations forming as early as age 10, the middle grades are the ideal time to start making connections between students’ academic work and their future career paths. By introducing students to STEM careers and sparking interest in essential industries like manufacturing, programming, and engineering, state leaders and district administrators are inspiring students to explore and learn about critical industries while paving the way for the workforce of tomorrow.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, occupations in are expected to grow 10.4 percent by 2033, compared with 4 percent for all occupations. Additionally, the median annual wage for STEM occupations in 2023 was $101,650, in comparison to non-STEM occupations at $46,680. In order to fill the need for these high-wage, in-demand jobs, early STEM intervention and career awareness for students in the middle grades are necessary.
Furthermore, students want to be exposed to emerging technologies and career possibilities. In the May 2022 report Question the Quo, by the ECMC Group, a majority (63 percent) of teens said they wished they received more information about the variety of postsecondary opportunities available. By providing this academic relevance through career-connected learning, students are less likely to drop out and more likely to engage in their academic journey.
In learning many concepts, students often ask, “When am I going to need this in real life?” According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), students who engage in career exploration are more likely to understand the relevance of their coursework. Career-connected learning helps students understand how academics connect to real-world careers which can improve academic motivation.
Research shows that a lack of awareness is the primary reason students don’t pursue STEM careers. In a recent survey, 42 percent of adults said they would have considered a STEM career if they had better understood the opportunities available. Research conducted by Battelle on students (grades 5-9) using a mission-based career exploration learning platform revealed that 84 percent of students were more likely to want a job involving designing or construction, there was a 56 percent increase in students interested in taking advanced math courses in high school, and 59 percent said they were more likely to pursue a career in STEM.
Early STEM intervention provides many benefits beyond broadening career options as well. It supports critical skills development, such as fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability. These transferable employability skills are increasingly a competitive advantage for students. “[Those] who develop and increase their human, or ‘soft,’ skills could see their income grow twice as fast due to the rising need for capabilities such as customer service, digital literacy, and time management,” according to a 2019 study.
Research by Education Strategy Group, commissioned by American Student Assistance, refers to the latest reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), which allows middle school programs as early as fifth grade to receive federal funding for career exploration. “States have a strong start in this relatively new space, but without a unified state vision and commitment, a prioritization of students’ need for more relevant, diverse, and hands-on experiences in a continuum throughout K-12, and sustained financial support and local capacity building, they risk making career exploration a series of paper-pencil activities that miss the opportunity to help shape students’ path to a fulfilling career that pays a living wage.”
The benefits of early STEM and career awareness are far-reaching. By providing students in the middle grades with engaging, career-connected learning opportunities, we can spark their interest in emerging technologies and in-demand, high-wage careers.
