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STEM careers and how Missouri schools prepare the future workforce
According to
data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), jobs in the STEM (science,
technology, engineering and math) fields are projected to be a valuable part of
Missouri’s employment future. In fact, Missouri’s projected growth rate for all
STEM occupations from 2012-2022 is 10.2%. In comparison, the overall projected
growth rate for the state during this period is 8.6%.
Additionally, STEM jobs are expected to be among some of the
most high-paying in Missouri. As a group, STEM
occupations earn 75% more than the Missouri average.
 In order to meet this growing demand, several Missouri
schools are implementing new programs, curricula and equipment to better
prepare students to fill these STEM occupations:
 Westminster Christian Academy (Town and Country): In the past four years, Westminster’s upper school (grades 9-12) has added three STEM courses, two and a half faculty positions, and a 3-D printer to build its STEM curriculum. Last year, STEM classes were also added to grades 7-8 in the middle school as well. In addition, this past spring the school became the first private school in Missouri to be certified for college credit STEM courses under the national nonprofit Project Lead the Way program.
Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (St. Louis): This past spring, MICDS added a $39.5 million, 86,000 square-foot building to house STEM classrooms. The building features nine science classroom laboratories that are 30% larger than a standard high school classroom.
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 University of Missouri (Columbia): Earlier this month, the Board of Public Buildings voted to begin the process of issuing $38.5 million in bonds to finance the renovation of Lafferre Hall at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s College of Engineering. In addition to making needed repairs to the facility, the project will provide additional state-of-the-art classroom and lab space to prepare more Missourians for jobs in STEM fields.
Washington University (St. Louis): Earlier this year, Washington University announced that it would sponsor Hawthorn Leadership for Girls, the region’s first all-girls STEM charter school. Expected to open in August 2015, the school will ultimately serve 500 girls in grades 6-12 in St. Louis.
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Gov. Nixon has made public education in Missouri a top
priority of his administration. The budget signed by the Governor included an
additional $100 million for local school districts. And through his leadership,
a nationally recognized intiatitve, Innovation Campus, was created to help
students train for career opportunities in high-demand fields while cutting the time it takes to earn a college degree and reducing student debt. Math and reading scores have also increased on his watch and
Missouri’s high school graduation rate is now in the top 10 in the nation.
To read more about the future of STEM in Missouri, please click here
to access MERIC’s latest STEM Occupations report.
For more information about how Missouri schools are
preparing to meet the future demand for STEM, please click
here.
The
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), a division of the
Missouri Department of Economic Development, is home to a variety of economic,
industry, and occupational studies. Please visit missourieconomy.org to find more
information and data about the future of STEM and Missouri’s growing economy.
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