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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

The highest paying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs often require an undergraduate degree. But another segment of STEM jobs, such as those for computer technicians and skilled construction personnel, don’t require four years of university, and they pay much more than jobs with comparable education requirements. This Brookings Institution paper zeroes in on the importance of the often-overlooked nondegree STEM careers that contribute significantly to economic growth and innovation. getAbstract recommends this incisive report to executives, educators and policy makers charged with promoting educational and training opportunities in these areas.

Summary

Many people believe the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) hire only university-educated individuals. Yet a variety of hidden STEM occupations that don’t require an undergraduate degree offer relatively higher wages but often remain unfilled due to a lack of trained candidates. With 20% of all jobs in the United States requiring “a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field,” forging STEM career paths is critical to growing the economy. These paths branch into two distinct directions: The first route journeys through universities, which produce highly compensated specialists...

About the Author

Jonathan Rothwell is an associate fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings.