Building the Workforce of the Future
Sustaining U.S. leadership in science, technology, and innovation (STI) requires bold action to expand the nation’s STEM talent pipeline and ensure global competitiveness. While the U.S. currently leads in R&D investment and groundbreaking discoveries, global competition is accelerating. Even within the U.S., temporary visa holders earn more than half of doctoral degrees in computer and information sciences (59%), engineering (60%), and mathematics and statistics (54%) – all fields crucial for national security and economic prosperity. Similarly, 60% of computer science master’s degrees awarded in 2022-2023 went to international students, underscoring the nation’s increasing dependence on global talent to sustain its high-tech workforce. In 2022, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded 47% of patents to domestic inventors with 53% being awarded to foreign inventors. Meanwhile, the U.S. R&D system relies heavily on international talent, leaving critical gaps in domestic STEM capacity and opening potential security risks1,2.
For more than 20 years, NCWIT has pioneered strategic initiatives that strengthen and expand the nation’s technology talent pool (K-12 through career) to ensure continued leadership in an increasingly competitive global landscape. These initiatives are built on the highest research-backed standards and take into account all applicable laws and regulations, ensuring our work is impactful and sustainable. Given the global trends mentioned above, such approaches are more important now than ever. It is imperative that educators and employers know the most effective ways to educate students with a wide range of backgrounds for the technical workforce, ensuring the nation’s innovation ecosystem remains strong, dynamic, and forward-looking.
Partnerships and collaborations are also a vital part of effective initiatives. With more than 1600 member organizations across the K12-industry tech ecosystem, NCWIT provides the infrastructure necessary for education and industry to collaboratively increase access to learning, open new career pathways, and foster environments where all students and workers can thrive, generate innovative breakthroughs, and tackle real-world challenges.
Technology workforce and competitiveness trends frequently inspire much discussion on social media and in other public forums. Such discussions can spark important conversations but can also create more heat than light. Lasting impact comes only from approaches that are data-driven, thoughtful, and rooted in the latest research and industry insights. The future is built by those who learn, adapt, and innovate. At NCWIT, we stand with our member organizations as we together create innovative pathways that turn potential into achievement and encourage lasting change.
1.) https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20243/talent-u-s-and-global-stem-education-and-labor-force
2.) https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=309184
