joi, 5 octombrie 2017

Module 2: STEM career pathways

Module 2: STEM career pathways

Module objectives
The learning objectives of Module 2 are:
  • To learn about current STEM industries and professions;
  • To understand the evolution of STEM professions and jobs of the future;
  • To define and recognise what STEM skills are; specifically, to learn about the importance of introducing ICT and digital skills in schools;
  • To comprehend what soft skills are and how these can be transferred to students.

2.1 STEM industries of today

While in the first module of this course you were introduced to the world of STEM, in this second one you will start learning what working in STEM actually means and what the employment prospects for STEM occupations are, both as a general concept and in the European market.
For this, we need to start by noting there is little consensus regarding which specific jobs are covered by the STEM acronym. For instance, The US Department of Commerce identifies a lack of consensus over whether educators, managers, technicians, healthcare professionals or social scientists can be regarded as STEM professionals. Drawing a clear line between STEM- and non-STEM-related professions is clearly a difficult task, but generally, in the data collected at EU level, STEM fields include natural sciences (i.e. physics, biology or chemistry), mathematics, engineering, architecture and computing, but other fields such as medicine or social sciences tend to be excluded.
In any case, STEM careers are not only of extreme relevance in our current economy (as we saw in the previous module), but they also constitute challenging and rewarding careers. Take a look at the video to check some key points about employment in STEM professions and to learn about some potential careers in STEM.

Now you have learned about a number of potential STEM jobs. While it is impossible to present all of the current jobs in STEM industries, we have curated some of the relevant resources you can use to build your knowledge of STEM jobs. Check the resources below to learn about these and about which paths you need to follow in order to access them.
  • To start with, you can have a look at the Florida Polytechnic University website. It includes a glossary of both established and emerging STEM careers, which can be linked to various academic degrees. You can read more here: http://stemstudy.com/stem-careers-glossary
  • This interactive guide on future technology careers provides a career path based on age and interests, and supplies additional information at every step of the way. It was developed by TECHFUTURECAREEERS and can be accessed here: https://www.thetechpartnership.com/tech-future-careers/how-do-I-get-there/ 
  • Passionate about a career in space? Watch this Space Awareness webinar by Dr. Frank Danesy, Head of Business Unit Control and Senior Financial Controller, Directorate of Operations at the European Space Agency. The Career Hub of the Space Awareness project also features a great series of interviews and career cards in space and astronomy, perfect to share and use with students. 
  • One of the three projects building this course, the STEM Alliance, ran a chat on chemistry and supply-chain career paths. This was organized in collaboration with EPCA (the European Petrochemical Association). The goal of this chat was to bring experts in the field closer to schools and to share information on their careers. See the summary here: http://www.stemalliance.eu/chat-1-after

Activity 1: What other sources do you use to inform yourself about STEM jobs? Share them with the rest of the participants!

2.2 STEM industries of tomorrow

Whichever STEM professions are currently trending, we need to be aware of the rapidly changing nature of not only the business sphere, but the technological and scientific worlds, too - especially since this will affect the qualifications expected from potential employees in terms of skills and mindsets.
  • As a way to exemplify this, while discovering more about future careers in engineering, check out this brief article published on the Scientix Blog by Scott Rhodes, Enrolment and Recruitment Strategies leader for the Florida Polytechnic University, where he explains how engineering is at the core of sustainability advancements and big data management, and how it can support healthcare endeavours.
How, then, do these innovative trends and advancements translate into actual jobs? In a very interesting report by The Future Laboratory and Microsoft, Future Proof Yourself, these two organisations present 10 jobs of the future, which at first may appear as sci-fi, but upon closer inspection, they are not that far away. Some of the jobs mentioned in this report are as varied as Ethical Technology Advocate, Human Body Designer, and even Space Tour Guide! They may not be recruiting tomorrow, but in a few years these or similar jobs will become more and more in demand. 
Lastly, we will watch two interviews with two experts of CA Technologies, one of the largest software companies and partners in the STEM Alliance project, James Branam and Alex Kingham, both Software Directors at CA Technologies in Prague. In these next two videos, they will talk about how they see the future of STEM jobs and how they advise professionals in education to best prepare their students.


Activity 2: What are some of the future STEM jobs we should be preparing for, in your opinion? Share your answers below!

2.3 STEM skills

As we have seen in previous modules, knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are crucial in responding to some of today's societal changes. In the following video, Carlos Cunha (Physics, Chemistry and ICT teacher in lower and upper secondary schools) gives an overview on STEM skills from an educator’s point of view. We invite you to watch and reflect on his presentation.
While in the above video we saw a pedagogically oriented definition of STEM skills, it is important to be aware of the many descriptions available. For instance, in Analytical highlight. Focus on: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, STEM skills are defined as “those skills expected to be held by people with a tertiary-education level degree in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths” (EU Skills Panorama (2014) STEM skills Analytical Highlight, prepared by ICF and Cedefop for the European Commission). In any case, how can we recognise those skills classified within STEM disciplines?
  1. An easy way to identify them is by linking STEM skills to qualifications attained in STEM subjects. For instance, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Biology or Physics are easily classified as core STEM skills. However, it is not as easy as it seems, as the variety and type of qualifications vary from country to country, especially in tertiary education (EU Skills Panorama (2014) STEM skills Analytical Highlight, prepared by ICF and Cedefop for the European Commission).
  2. Another way of defining STEM skills is by linking them to STEM occupations. For instance, this study identified 30 STEM occupations (concerning those that most utilise STEM skills). The results ranged from mathematicians, chemists and civil engineers (among many kinds of engineers) to statisticians or agricultural technicians.
Nonetheless, one must keep in mind that there are non-STEM professions that use STEM skills. There are also many STEM degree holders working in a non-STEM occupation who might still be using their STEM skills at work (Bosworth, Lyonette, & Wilson, 2013).
  • On the Future Morph website, you will find a series of videos on how different professionals use math and science in STEM and non-STEM jobs. From a bakery manager to a glass artist, you can use these videos to show students that STEM skills and knowledge are valuable in almost any career.
STEM skills of the future. In focus: ICT and digital skills
Traditional corporate limits are likely to disappear and collaboration within and across sectors is likely to increase. Moreover, as new innovative industries arise and new jobs appear, future graduates will need the right skills to fill newly created jobs. One of the main demands for these future workers will be to attain high levels of digital and ICT skills. In fact, “in the near future 90% of jobs - in careers such as engineering, accountancy, nursing, medicine, art, architecture - will require some level of digital skills. But at present, half of all citizens in the European Union have no or low computer skills” (eSkills for Jobs, 2017).
For that matter, it is necessary to start increasing pupils’ digital competences by teaching them a wide array of digital skills. The project eSkills for jobs offers a series of training opportunities that can be implemented in schools. Take a look at their website for some inspiration! Also, to fully understand this approach, watch the following video, entitled eSkills for Jobs 2016 | Lavinia Morris, Head of IT, SMBC Aviation Capital, to understand the importance of IT and technology and to get an overview of the skills needed in developing a career in IT, of which challenges we can encounter in this field, as well as of some tips for working in the profession.
Lastly, we have collected a number of collaborative approaches between schools, both making use of ICT technologies and promoting ICT skills. These have been gathered from the Future Classroom Lab regional network which, with the help of innovative teachers/ICT advisers, has recently developed future classroom scenarios and learning activities.
  • Stress in Structures: A Collaborative Project for Two Schools in Catalonia: In this project, students faced different challenges. They learnt the concept of stress, a core element in the subject of Technology for 14 year-old students in compulsory education. In order to acquire the concepts, they used apps that helped them produce digital objects that display information and show what they have understood throughout the project.

  • Collaborative coding project between two schools in Sweden: This collaborative project between two schools from Partille and Jonsered in Sweden aimed for the students at programming, giving instructions, creating digital learning resources. The students also assisted in transforming creative ideas to tangible results, discussing and cooperating in a team.
Activity 3: In the spreadsheet below, answer these two questions: (a) Which are the key competences for, and which are the skills specific to STEM industries? and (b) How can the school of the future help pupils and students develop these key skills?

2.4 Soft skills

The transition to an efficient professional entails much more than the academic knowledge attained through the schooling system. It also requires the development of key soft skills necessary within the business environment. Future STEM professionals will also be progressively required to have greatly advanced ‘soft’ skills such as project management skills, communication aptitudes and problem-solving abilities. Watch the following interview, where Gabrielle Ferguson, Talent Development Partner at CA Technologies, gives a definition of soft skills and explains why these are important in pursuing a STEM career.
In the above video, Gabrielle Ferguson, Talent Development Partner at CA Technologies, has mentioned an array of soft skills (including communication, adaptation, time management, collaborative working, agile working, adaptation to change, response to change or presentation skills) that are relevant in STEM study fields and STEM careers. The acquisition of these abilities will not only benefit students academically, but it may also facilitate their entry and performance in the business world. Candidates with soft skills are rare but highly valued by employers; partly because soft skills are transferable to a wide array of jobs and professional areas but also because the acquisition of soft skills can help improve relationship-building and networking, thus creating a professional workplace culture.
Since most educational policies and systems prioritise the provision of knowledge, adapting existing school curricula (in order to include activities that promote soft skills) is quite a difficult job. For that reason, it is advisable to start promoting soft skills when designing courses or lesson plans. But how?
  • Soft skills such as resilience, self-control and time management can be incorporated through pedagogical approaches like project-based learning and inquiry-based science education (which will be further explained in the coming sections). 
  • In general, group activities are always an opportunity to integrate soft skills in the classroom. Problem-solving tasks can be a chance for pupils to engage in social skills. The freedom of working in groups will help students to develop time-management and self-control abilities, emphasising the notion of self-regulation and time-on-task. Lastly, working in small groups can also encourage quiet students to express their thoughts in a more comfortable manner (Concordia University, 2016).
  • Incorporating student self-assessment into lessons is another way to promote soft skills. While students can measure their knowledge attainment through tests, they do not always take time to reflect on their own work, on what is challenging them and in what areas they are succeeding. Having students review their own work will also help them develop resilience and add a goal-setting approach to their educational experiences (Concordia University, 2016).
In order to get the whole picture, read the article The 7 Most Important STEM Skills We Should Be Teaching Our Kids, where some essential soft skills in the STEM areas are mentioned.
Activity 4: In the spreadsheet below, answer these two questions: (a) Which are the key competences for, and which are the soft skills specific to STEM industries? and (b) How can the school of the future help pupils and students develop these key skills?
Do you need inspiration? In this PDF document you can see the conclusions of the workshop entitled Design the school of the future that contribute developing the skills of tomorrow in the petrochemical industry. In this event, experts from the petrochemical industry answer these same questions in order to determine key competences in their sector.

2.5 WEBINAR: The Importance of 21st Skills and Industry 4.0 in STEM Ed

  • Title of webinar: The Importance of 21st Skills and Industry 4.0 in STEM Education by Dr. Sahin Idin
  • Login information: 25th of October at 18:00 CET https://eun2.adobeconnect.com/stem_education_and_industry/
  • Description: In this webinar, the current situation of STEM Education and the Industry 4.0 (automation and manufacturing technologies) in Europe will be discussed. In particular, 21st-century skills and their importance for the mentioned areas will be emphasised. Participants will learn about the relationship between STEM Education and Industry 4.0 through real STEM exams. A number of recommendations will be given to participants in order to overcome challenges they might face in their STEM courses.
  • Şahin İDİN is a STEM Educator who received his PhD in science education from Hacettepe University. Aside from that, he has been a Scientix ambassador for Turkey since 2016 and will be until 2019. He has written articles and book chapters, and has conducted many national and international workshops related to STEM Education. He is also editor-in-chief of an international journal entitled “Journal of STEAM Education” which focuses on STEAM Education and its fields. His current studies focus on Integrated STEM Education, 21st Skills in STEM Education and the relationship between STEM Education and Industry 4.0.
  • Relevant links:
    https://journalofsteameducation.com/focus-and-scope/
    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/01/australian-students-recreate-martin-shkreli-price-hike-drug-in-school-lab

2.6 Bibliography

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