According to a news release this week, the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has awarded $900,000 to Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, Grand Valley State University and Washtenaw Intermediate School District to promote mathematics, computer science, and science and engineering literacy, respectively.
“STEM education opportunities are critical as we prepare young Michiganders for high-tech, high-skill careers that will serve as the backbone of Michigan’s economy,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a public statement. “These investments are critical to ensure our schools have the funds to help each and every Michigander reach their full potential. And in my budget recommendation for next year, I have proposed the biggest per-student investment ever and $1 billion for school construction and renovation so we can keep funding and building more computer labs, classrooms and science facilities to help our kids pursue their potential.”
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited by the state, median wages in STEM careers were more than double that of non-STEM occupations, and STEM careers are expected to grow at more than twice the rate of other occupations in the coming years. The bureau noted that Michigan has the fourth-largest engineering, design and development (EDD) workforce in the nation, with over 113,000 employed in related industries in 2020, adding that EDD employment in Michigan is almost twice the national average.
“Exposure to engineering and technology changed my life, and I know the role it can play in sparking imagination and molding students into leaders,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist said in a public statement. “Strong STEM experiences prepare students for the high-skilled jobs of the future and lay the foundation for prosperity in our communities. When we help our students explore the world of STEM, we make an investment that keeps Michigan at the forefront of scientific and technological advancement and builds on our state’s tradition of innovation. Governor Whitmer and I are grateful for the MiSTEM Advisory Council’s work to make a difference for our students and our economy.”
The grant funding was approved by the Michigan STEM (MiSTEM) Advisory Council, an education policy governing body created by the state Legislature in 2015 to make recommendations to “help the state become a world leader in STEM education.”
“Regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, students need to consider the widest range of possibilities as careers, including STEM careers,” State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said in a public statement. “Expanding STEM education helps our children not only dream bigger but realize a wealth of career opportunities and how STEM education will help them achieve their dreams.”
