Disrupting the SySTEM: East Tennessee races to build future STEM workforce

It is critical to plan 20-25 years in advance for the jobs of tomorrow, according to Craig Layman, associate director for workforce development for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. But how can you start to develop a roadmap for that far into the future when it is a struggle to fill some of the jobs of today? In East Tennessee - and across the country – finding the right candidates and enough candidates to take over advanced positions in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields has become a constant battle. STEM occupations are at an all-time high, Layman said, while U.S. universities are struggling to keep up with the demand. The number of U.S. jobs that need significant STEM skill sets has jumped by about 34 percent in the last decade, according to Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ 2018 annual report.