Minnesota Manufacturing
Growing STEM
This past October, I accepted an invitation to participate in a discussion of how to prepare Minnesota high school grads for working in advanced manufacturing. Well, that was my motive. others were there to discuss preparation for college, the Minnesota Plan for High School Redesign to add rigor to curriculum, and to learn about exciting careers right here in Minnesota from a range of industry spokespersons.
The event, a STEM education forum, was sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education and coordinated by the Minnesota High Tech Association. A total of 12 STEM forums were offered in Minnesota in October and November; four held in the Twin Cities and eight in Greater Minnesota including: Duluth, Brainerd, Marshall, St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, Moorhead and Alexandria .
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is the buzz word in middle and high schools and in St. Paul . Minnesota is one of the 24 states that require Algebra I to graduate, one of 17 to require geometry, and one of only ten to require Algebra II.
One of the most fascinating discoveries I made validated what you and I knew (but were afraid to say aloud): the current high school diploma has lost its currency. Many high school grads lack the skills they need for good jobs in manufacturing. All employers want job seekers to have the basic employability skills (come to work on time, every day, drug free), but most manufacturers also want employees with the ability to work as part of a team, to use math to solve problems, to self manage, and to take responsibility for learning.
“The diploma has lost its value because what it takes to earn one is disconnected from what it takes for graduates to compete successfully beyond high school either in the classroom or in the workplace. Re-establishing the value of the diploma will require the creation of an inextricable link between high school exit expectations and the intellectual challenges that graduates invariably will face in credit-bearing college courses or in high-performance, high-growth jobs.” Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts. The American Diploma Project
In a fact sheet created by Achieve, Inc., an organization created by the nation's governors and business leaders in 1996, the question is .Do all students need a college-prep curriculum? The American Diploma Project, of which Achieve is a partner, interviewed college professors and employers around the country and found that the skills needed to succeed in freshman-level courses are the same as the skills needed for jobs that provide a living-wage and allow for career advancement, such as those in advanced manufacturing.
We no longer refer to manufacturing jobs as blue-collar work. We know that many of the gold-collar jobs in manufacturing require years of training and a working knowledge of algebra, geometry, trigonometry and advanced technical reading skills. As more countries compete with us on low-skill production work, Minnesota manufacturers are remaining competitive through innovation, superior quality, automation, and exceeding customer expectations. This is not a place for underachievers or the faint of heart!
The STEM forums laid the foundation for establishing new partnerships and strengthening current partnerships. It's in your best interests to become involved. Specific activities might include internships for students or teachers, job shadowing, on-going dialogue with high schools, mentors for students and teachers, student job placement, volunteering as a STEM speaker for classrooms, being a STEM community leader offering advice and guidance to school leaders about programs and ways to involve students in real-life problem solving and innovations (sponsoring or coaching a robotics team, for example). To find ways for you to be involved, call your local school and offer to be engaged with teachers, students and their parents or contact Colleen Riley from the Minnesota High Tech Association with questions at 952.230.4552 criley@mhta.org.-DKB
Debra Bultnick is the Manufacturing Industry Liaison for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Debra.Bultnick@state.mn.us
612.298.2592