Upgrade your arsenal for a STEM future
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#STEM #Leadership #Agile #Re-skill #Blog
In today’s digital-first marketplace, every company has to be, in one way or another, a STEM company. No matter what line of business you operate under, there will always be practical applications of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. From software and algorithms used for finances and key operations, equipment specifically engineered to maintain operations, to the technology channels used to reach its end-users. It’s high time that companies start to invest more on the development of STEM Leaders and employees.
Organisations might think it wise to put off STEM development because they think they’re saving on unnecessary expenses. However, businesses that fail to invest in their employees’ STEM abilities are setting themselves up to fall behind. That’s not to say that STEM development is enough. Soft skills and hard skills are both necessary as we usher in the future.
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A recent study by Docebo on “The Factors in STEM Training Initiatives” shows that there are three key considerations for business Leaders looking to empower their employees through STEM skills training. That’s doesn’t mean that there aren’t more factors. Personally, I believe that advocating for teamwork is often overlooked. Here are the three aforementioned considerations:
o Any organisation can become a STEM skills leader - With the right partners and technology support, companies can build their own STEM talent pipelines without waiting for a new wave in the talent pool.
o Don’t stifle success—let technology amplify training - With training programs backed by advanced technology such as AI, training tools can be far more effective than traditional learning programs.
o The most essential STEM skill? Creativity - The goal of STEM training is to challenge employees to understand their work differently and inspire creativity to implement new and innovative business systems.
Executives need to invest in their employees through concerted training programs that elevate, empower, and challenge workers to think creatively and innovatively.
“Teamwork” - Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
According to Bob Wong of Monash University, when comparing skills in non-STEM employees and STEM employees, those from a STEM background are perceived to lack interpersonal skills and time management. That is precisely the reason why we need more Leadership programs to target these deficiencies from STEM employees. Foundational skills in most leadership courses are grounded on teamwork, communication, and emotional intelligence.
Tara Chklovski, Founder and CEO of Technovation believes that prioritising STEM and coding won’t fill one of the biggest gaps in education, (and in turn, the workplace). But I could not disagree more. She mentions in her case study that according to the World Economic Forum predicted that the top three skills for 2020 are complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. But these are the prominent skills of STEM workers. Now more than ever, we need to build foundations for a STEM future. Organisations will always integrate STEM with how they run their business one way or another. So, either arm yourself for the STEM future, or get left behind in an obsolete way of running your business.
“Neil DeGrasse Tyson”
“A physicist is one of the most employable people in the marketplace…a trained problem solver. How many times have you heard a person in the workplace say, ‘I wasn’t trained for this!’ That’s an impossible reaction from a physicist, who would say, instead, ‘Cool.’” (Neil Degrasse Tyson)
A Visual Capitalist report by Katie Jones show that 86% of high school graduates plan to pursue a STEM career. 3 in 4 college grads majored in STEM-related fields in 2018. Given the abundance of young professionals pursuing a STEM career, it is only fair to assume that this is the direction our economy is headed. The key is to arm these young people with the correct set of skills to thrive in this new era.
Particularly in STEM careers, the most valuable employees are those who also have the soft skills essential for problem solving and continuous adaptability. Soft skills such as communication, creativity, and teamwork. That is why it is necessary for organisations to have learning and development programs in place. To re-skill employees not only with the soft skills, but STEM-driven programs so that they won’t be left clueless when the digital age fully takes over how we run our businesses.
“Digital” - Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
Docebo’s study on “Digital Transformation” reveal that almost half (49 percent) of surveyed executives say their company provides education and training to employees on information security matters. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that more employees must be given the training support to take the more transactional knowledge. Then, they must leverage it to support higher level thinking and creativity.
If the recent crisis has taught us anything, it is that STEM is key to thriving in the new technology-based economy and cultivating solutions to real world problems. Companies that aren’t prepared to embrace new technologies and empower their employees to innovate will fall behind their peers. They’ll be missing out on real revenue, talent acquisition, and retention.
“Evolution” - Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash
In a recent article by PEW, the authors mention that there are 5 major themes about the future of jobs training in the tech age:
o The training ecosystem will evolve, with a mix of innovation in all education formats
o Learners must cultivate 21st-century skills, capabilities, and attributes
o New credentialing systems will arise as self-directed learning expands
o Training and learning systems will not meet 21st-century needs by 2026
o Jobs? What jobs? Technological forces will fundamentally change work and the economic landscape
STEM will be the driving force in the evolution of the training ecosystem. Learners will acquire skills that meet the demand that the economy is asking for. And organisations will sooner or later realise that investing in training programs is no longer a question of “if”, but “when”. As we move to digitalisation, everyone will eventually succumb to the need for STEM-driven systems, and people who will manage them.
“Tardis” - Photo by Dante Candal on Unsplash
STEM is the future. Of that I am certain. And no one can fight the future unless you have a time-machine (but of course, that is also a product of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). So why not prepare for the future now? We have all the resources and the means to be STEM-driven. We just need to utilise them. The STEM future is coming. The question is: Are you ready for it?
Is your Agile Leadership as competitive as it needs to be in the STEM Industry? Here’s 3 ways I can help you with that:
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