The Edmund Sun – GOV. MARY FALLIN
“Science isn’t just something that happens in labs. It touches every industry in our state and it impacts every Oklahoman. Science, technology, engineering and math (or “STEM”) lead to innovative breakthroughs that improve our quality of life, promote a better-educated workforce, create higher-paying jobs and help Oklahoma retain our most valuable asset — our people. For that reason, it is important that we keep up with the demand for STEM-educated Oklahomans. Being STEM-educated requires pursuing education beyond high school: either a traditional four-year college degree, an associate’s degree, or a career tech certificate. Unfortunately, only about half of our population receives any formal education after high school. That means we have a long way to go to fill the state’s pipeline for STEM-related jobs. That is especially true given that Oklahoma is expected to have to replace 54 percent of the existing STEM workforce due to retirement and other factors over the next 10 years.”(more)