The writing is on the chalkboard. Wanted: scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians.

Jim Jardon was able to build a company virtually from scratch. In 1990, he founded JHT Inc., which began as a small business that developed training programs for the Department of Defense and affiliated agencies. Since that time, JHT steadily has expanded services and grown from its Orlando roots to reach 30 states.

The company now offers expertise ranging from training and technical data management to environmental and marine sciences, management and operations support, and construction, with its largest customer being the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Impressive.

Jardon, however, has sometimes come up short in one area: He hasn’t always found the right people at the right time. As a defense contractor, JHT is required to hire only U.S. citizens, people possessing advanced technical backgrounds. Too often, too few qualified candidates emerge.

“I have had really quality students, … but because they’re not U.S. citizens, I can’t let them in the building,” laments Jardon.
In her previous life, Leslie Hielema was managing director of the Indiana office of ProLogic Inc., a computer engineering firm specializing in government contracts. She, too, was restricted to hiring U.S. citizens, essentially eliminating an ample portion of the applicant pool.

She advertised extensively, and with ProLogic’s location at a tech incubator, she had direct access to Purdue University students. Still, at job fairs, she would collect “30 to 40 top-notch” resumes, touting doctoral degrees in math and master’s degrees in engineering, but “99 percent” of them weren’t from U.S. citizens. “That was very frustrating,” says Hielema, currently president of Orlando Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce). “We had great [defense] contracts, and it was very hard to meet the needs.”

All tech jobs don’t require U.S. citizenship, of course. The bulk of them, in reality, do not. Yet, the point is this: Flatly, as a country, we produce too few technical specialists such as scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians. (The acronym is STEM — it’s a theme here.) And, like a volcano, while that shortage of talent first bubbles to the surface for the defense industry, volatile danger smolders underneath, awaiting eruption. The question isn’t if but when.

That is true in Indiana, just as it is in Central Florida and across the United States. Not just one segment of industries is affected either. Sure, among the chief areas are aerospace, energy, manufacturing, information technology, homeland security and defense, and life sciences. The lava, though, spills forth.

Generally speaking, the United States is at risk of losing its grip in the battle of global competitiveness. Leading-edge scientific and engineering work is being accomplished in many parts of the world. Workers in virtually every tech sector must now face competitors who live just a mouse click away, in Ireland, Finland, China, India and dozens of other nations. The domestic workforce also finds itself in direct competition for jobs with lower-wage workers abroad. And, even if someone isn’t cut out to be, say, a research scientist, more and more jobs will require at least a basic understanding of scientific and mathematical principles, a working knowledge of computer hardware and software, and problem-solving skills.

Proof: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 15 of the 20 jobs for which the demand is growing the fastest through 2014 will require substantial math or science preparation.

There’s even more pressure locally.

In Central Florida, the challenge is magnified, given the region’s recent economic hurtle toward technology. In many respects, in that global fight, our region is on the front lines.

This acronym STEM spells the kind of trouble that pervades industry, education and the general public.
Everyone, really? Indeed, that’s what happens when Gross Domestic Product — the market value of all goods and services the country produces — is involved. If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between its educational achievement levels and those of better-performing nation, the 2008 GDP could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher, an amount that represents up to 16 percent of the total GDP, according to a report by McKinsey & Co. called “The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools.”

Not to get too technical, but this stuff is big.

For industry, obviously much is at stake. Consider that metro Orlando has an estimated $13.4 billion technology industry, employing 53,000 people, according to data supplied by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. The life sciences, medical technology and biotech industries, in particular, are poised to blossom. Since 2008, the region has made a $2 billion investment in life sciences alone. Also, metro Orlando is a recognized leader in the simulation, laser and information technology industries, widely viewed as the largest cluster of modeling, simulation and training companies in the world, while the nation’s military simulation training centers are based here. eWeek, a tech-dedicated Web site, has recognized Orlando as one of the top 10 U.S. emerging technology hubs. In addition, Orlando has nationally recognized clusters of innovation in digital media, agritechnology, aviation and aerospace, and software.

Big stuff, indeed. Just not guaranteed.

“It’s a national issue,” says Hielema. “and it’s a huge priority for Florida.”

Jardon praises UCF as well as several of the state’s other colleges and universities. Still, he notes: “We’re getting left behind. … We still have a lot of great people. But I’m concerned because that [a STEM career] has not been the chosen path to success for a lot of our young people.”

The concern isn’t new. The past decade has brought increasing discussion and plans. The problem is that activity too frequently has occurred in “silos.” The individual and sometimes effective efforts have not been particularly concerted. Like ants in an anthill, people are dutifully running around with their mission in mind, but without masterful coordination.

Industry’s Initiatives
Lee Barnes is intent on helping usher in change. The corporate lead executive in Orlando for Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Technical Services sector doesn’t see any other choice. “We’re getting down to the point where it’s not necessarily going to self-correct,” he says. “We have to make sure it corrects.”

Northrop Grumman, an international security giant whose customers include the U.S. government, has long engaged in developing educational programs and writing charitable checks. A fortuitous introduction of Barnes to a UCF outreach specialist involved in similar work now has delivered greater clarity and broader scope.

Bruce Furino, UCF’s director of educational partnerships, was running a program called Engineer Future Connection, funded by General Electric. Barnes, meanwhile, was searching for answers with  industry associates. When each learned what the other was doing, collaboration became a no-brainer. “I thought, ‘This just makes too much sense. This is exactly where we need to be,’” Barnes says.

The result is the Central Florida STEM Education Council, formed in January and based at the UCF Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park. The regional effort hopes to stimulate STEM options for precollege students in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, Lake, Polk and Flagler counties.

Aside from UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science and Northrop Grumman, charter members include NASA Kennedy Space Center, Lockheed Martin, Science Applications International Corp., the Boeing Co., Harris Corp., the Walt Disney Co., Florida Virtual School, U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, U.S. Army PEO-STRI, Manufacturers Association of Central Florida and Cox Marketing Services. All have ongoing STEM education activities, and the council enables them to share relevant information and to leverage resources.

“The fact that we’re addressing this locally speaks to the importance of the problem,” Furino comments. “The fact that we’re doing this together, that we’re sitting down and recognizing this at the same time — it’s just one of those moments when all the pieces come together.”

The council’s stated mission is to “prepare and encourage precollege students to enter technical fields of study and pursue employment in the Central Florida high-tech workforce.” It plans to “encourage and support stronger technology programs in area schools and advocate [the offering of] direct assistance, including mentorships, online resources for parents and students, and resources for educators.”

In other words, the target is children.

An aging workforce needs to be replenished, and the initial aim is to attract the attention of students who are barely into their multiplication tables.

“For us to be successful at all, we’ve got to create a higher level of interest and application at the [elementary] school and [middle] school level,” says Barnes. “Otherwise, you cannot make it to the other end. So, regardless of what our ultimate goal is, our immediate pressing goal is to focus back on the lower levels of school.”

“The opportunity is there for these students to excel,” says Furino. “It’s just getting the message to them for them to realize what’s ahead. … How do we reach those young students to get the point across? Throwing data at them isn’t going to do it. We need to market the message of STEM.

“There’s so much to be done. We’re just getting started.”

The PRISM Project (Promoting Regional Improvement in Science and Math) has a head start, although with the older target group of middle schoolers and up. Established in 2005, the project hopes to elevate the region’s ability to compete economically by strengthening math and science education in area schools. In the past five years, the effort has spread from eight to 10 counties along the high-tech corridor from Orlando to Tampa and encompasses businesses, local governments, community organizations and educational institutions.

PRISM’s growing list of partners are Central Florida School Boards Coalition, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Orlando Science Center, Workforce Central Florida, Orlando Inc., Lake-Sumter Community College, Lockheed Martin, Electronic Arts, National Retail Properties, Progress Energy, Realty Capital, Regions Bank, Walt Disney World, UCF, Valencia Community College, Seminole State College of Florida, DeVry University, Daytona College and the Florida Department of Education.

PRISM has worked to support and train teachers, inspire students to pursue math and science education, enhance school curricula and expand funding opportunities. As a way to inspire, for example, PRISM promotes participation in math and science competitions. Also, there’s a PRISM student scholar program designed to create interest and participation in math and science by sixth-graders. In the past three years, PRISM has recognized 92 outstanding math and science teachers, who shared best practices with other teachers in their districts, and 170 outstanding and most-improved students.
Progress is being made. Still, more is needed.

That’s the contention of Pam Tedesco, project manager of STEMflorida, who is pushing toward further synergy on the statewide level. “There are some fantastic things that are going on in the state,” she says, “but there is no defined method for collaboration and cooperation, for a single entity to catalog everything that’s going on and pull them together.” Last June, Workforce Florida, which oversees Florida’s workforce system, and Enterprise Florida, a partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders, created STEMflorida to be that entity.

The goal, aside from being that clearinghouse, is to build business–education collaboration, create career awareness among young Floridians about STEM careers and growth opportunities, and provide for teacher externships and student internships in STEM disciplines.

Atop the agenda: educating people on exactly what STEM is. (If you think STEM means stem cell research, you get an F.)
“Once people do learn about it, it’s an easy sell because it touches so many different areas,” says Tedesco, who most recently worked in economic development and workforce innovation in northwest Florida. “There is no career in ‘STEM.’ Instead, STEM skills are required in many different jobs.

“STEM is not a standalone. It is intertwined with everything and anything.”

STEM isn’t only about young students; the initiative carries throughout formal schooling and into the training and retraining of employees, she adds: “It really is the full spectrum across the entire current and future potential workforce.”

To foster synergy, STEMflorida has implemented a Declaration of Interdependence, defining roles and responsibilities of committed partners. A series of business roundtables has begun, to eventually complete a strategic plan for STEM education. (At press time, Orlando’s roundtable, hosted by Lockheed Martin, was scheduled for Feb. 18.) An annual education conference, held in conjunction with the Florida Association of School Administrators, is scheduled for July 25-28 in Orlando. There, STEM stakeholders can gather to share best practices, leverage collective resources and increase coordination. Also, a Web portal with helpful resources and tools is available at www.stemflorida.net. Hielema of Orlando Inc., by the way, has been particularly active in the council’s launch activities.

“Everybody needs to be arm in arm in addressing this situation,” Tedesco emphasizes, noting that the callout extends far beyond this sampling of STEM groups.

Education’s Efforts
For their part, educators have seen the writing on the chalkboard for some time. As a result, a new attitude, along with a new curriculum, is taking hold.

“We have to change our mental model of who we are as a teacher,” says Yvonne Fonnett, a secondary science specialist at Orange County Public Schools. “What is our education philosophy, and what are we trying to do with our students?”

At central issue is what OCPS labels 21st-century skills: thinking critically; working in teams; leading by influence; being adaptable; taking initiative and being entrepreneurial; communicating clearly and concisely; accessing and analyzing information effectively; and being curious and imaginative.

Curriculum changes are encouraging inquiry, exploration, problem solving and creative thinking, not necessarily the regurgitation of facts. School district officials use the terms rigor, relevance and relationships to describe the academic approach.
The recently approved Next Generation Sunshine State Standards are helping to drive change. Beginning in the next school year, the Next Generation will eclipse the circa-1997 Sunshine State Standards testing yardstick.

Optimism is high. “As an educator, you never feel it’s too challenging,” comments Molly Malloy, an OCPS resource teacher who specializes in middle school science. “It’s actually kind of exciting with the new things happening right now. I think it’s very doable.”

Margaret Walker, an OCPS secondary mathematics specialist, cites joint efforts such as the I-4 Corridor for Mathematics Group, composed of nine school districts that meet quarterly to discuss classroom challenges and opportunities for improvement. “We’re going to have to work harder,” she says. “So we might as well work smarter as we work harder. … And the smarter part is working together.” Another example, among numerous, is the Science Leadership Academy, started in 2008, where leaders from each county public school meet regularly as part of mentoring and coaching for teachers.

Despite the headway that’s been made, the task for educators is daunting, leaving little room for error.
Pop quiz: How early do youngsters make up their mind about school work? Published research indicates that by third grade, students typically decide whether they are going to pursue rigorous math or science training. And if by fifth grade they’re out of that equation, they won’t factor back in it.

Making matters worse are subpar standardized test scores. In the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, used to measure how well students are meeting the Sunshine State Standards, fewer than half of students statewide score at or above grade level in science. Florida’s students score higher in mathematics than in science, but still many students struggle.

Of added concern is that mathematics performance declines from elementary to middle and high school. While 78 percent of third-grade students are performing at grade level, student achievement begins to decline in the fourth grade and continues to decline through the sixth, when only 55 percent of students are performing at grade level.

The precise validity of test scores is debatable. The trends, though, are difficult to deny.

Educators, clearly, shouldn’t shoulder all the blame, perhaps not even most of it. Limited school funding and low teacher wages are well-documented hurdles to higher student achievement, as are myriad other obstacles that make the road from K-start to 12-success seem trickier to navigate than Interstate 4 during rush hour.

To their credit, all Florida schools aren’t doing a poor job either. Florida public schools rank eighth in the nation, a leap from 31st just three years ago, in Education Week magazine's recent "Quality Counts" report. Each year, Education Week compiles a state-by-state report card, rating public education systems in such areas as student achievement, academic standards, teachers and financing. The report uses available national data as recent as 2009 and as far back as 2000. Overall, Florida earned a B-minus.

CliffsNotes
Back to STEM.

Jardon points to the region’s planned high-speed rail and the technical expertise required to make it go. Rhetorically, he asks,  “Do we have the people who can do the work?” He also sees the irony of young people’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for cell phones, iPods, notebook computers and other gadgets yet their lack of interest in the techno magic that brings them to life. “Kids,” he comments, “see way easier ways to make a lot of money.”

Barnes contends that money, in actuality, should be a motivator, given the $64,000 in average salary of engineers in his Northrop Grumman business arena. He vows patience and promises a vigilant eye: “We’re not going to fix this tomorrow. This is a five- to 10-year plan to even make the turn. … The change to the dynamic is what we have to do today.”

Hielema, who holds a master’s in electrical engineering, has a daughter in elementary school. Hielema is hopeful, but wonders whether the STEM path will be wide enough for her daughter to follow. “This is scary,” she says.

Fonnet has a different feeling: “We’re in this flux of change, and it’s exciting to really look at our profession and what it is that we want our kids to be able to do when they leave our classroom at the end of the day.”

Tedesco is confident. “Certainly,” she asserts, “if there had been more [attention] earlier, we’d be in a better position. But the ship hasn’t left the dock yet.”

Furino offers this ominous conclusion: “There is no ‘If we don’t.’ We must.”

Editor’s note: This is the first installment of continuing editorial coverage on the topic of STEM. Also, see Page 22 for additional perspectives from STEM stakeholders.