Sec. 10531. Findings
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/bill/117/hr/4521/eh/section-10531·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress makes the following findings: Evidence suggests that the supply of STEM workers is not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the public and private sector, resulting in a deficit often referred to as a STEM skills shortage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need one million additional STEM professionals than it is on track to produce in the coming decade. STEM occupations offer higher wages, more opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree of job security than non-STEM occupations.
The composition of the STEM workforce does not reflect the current or projected diversity of the Nation, with Hispanics, African Americans, and other racial and ethnic minorities, significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce compared to their presence in the workforce more generally. A stronger national commitment to increasing the diversity of the STEM workforce is needed to help address the STEM skills shortage. According to a 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report entitled Minority Serving Institutions:
America’s Underutilized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Workforce , 2- and 4-year minority serving institutions enroll nearly 30 percent of all undergraduate students—a percentage that is expected to grow in the coming years—in the United States higher education system and play a critical role in providing important pathways to STEM-related education, training, and careers for students of color. HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are highly successful at educating underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and can serve as best practice models for other colleges and universities to further expand participation of underrepresented minorities in the STEM workforce.
Increased investment in STEM infrastructure at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs has the potential to increase these institutions’ ability to educate even more students in the STEM disciplines. With the demand for STEM skills exceeding the supply of STEM graduates, success of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in educating and training science and engineering leaders is increasingly important for United States economic growth and competitiveness.