Where are the Hot Jobs?

The following video clip was featured on Providence's Channel 10 news last week. The report highlights what the "hot jobs" are presently in Rhode Island and southern New England, despite the dismal economy. Check it out:



The immediate point that jumps out at me is the fact that all three featured fields- bioscience, information technology, and healthcare- are all in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (now commonly referred to as "STEM") realm. This correlates to a U.S. Department of Labor study from 2007 that projected there would be an increase of 2.5 million job openings in STEM-related occupations from 2004 to 2014. It is also no coincidence that a major component of the federal $4.3 billion Race to the Top grant (of which Massachusetts is one of 16 semifinalists) is the provision of competitive grants for school districts that improve STEM curriculum and offer new initiatives. This news on the few glimmers of hope in the current job market speaks to what our kids need: a rigorous curriculum that promotes problem solving and critical thinking, scientific literacy, and technological proficiency. Only with these 21st century skills will our students be competitive in a future economy.