Midlands Voices: Here's how to 'truly harness the power of every mind'
Nebraska has experienced a phenomenon known as brain drain, or the migration of highly educated professionals out-of-state to pursue opportunity. Brain drain can have significant implications on economic development and innovation, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce, where a shortage of skilled workers already exists. According to the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and Education Reporting System, STEM fields have the lowest retention rates in Nebraska.
An equally pressing concern is the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, women constitute 48% of the total workforce, but only 34% of the STEM workforce. There is an even lower share of women in math, computing and engineering fields. In addition to gender, other socioeconomic factors, such as race, ethnicity and class, can impact a woman's entry into STEM.
Lack of female representation and brain drain are issues that are interconnected, which reveals a concerning cycle that impacts both talent and diversity in crucial STEM careers.
Women in STEM face barriers, such as gender bias, lack of mentorship and inadequate work-life balance policies. To bridge the STEM gap and bring more equity to underserved populations is a community-wide effort.
This past year, cohesive partnerships in Omaha and surrounding regions have strengthened between nonprofit, business and education sectors. These partnerships will be used to reach more girls and young women to ignite the spark for STEM.
Current female leaders in STEM have come together, not to duplicate efforts, but to identify how to better engage with this demographic to provide a more supportive and inclusive environment to attract and retain talented females. This starts with the creation of more inclusive educational environments that encourage girls to explore interests in science and technology from a young age.
Schools and universities are encouraged to prioritize mentorship programs that connect the next generation of girls and young women with successful females in STEM. They can provide guidance and support throughout the educational journey to ensure they remain in Nebraska.
Fostering partnerships also can help align curricula with real-world needs to ensure that women are prepared to enter into and succeed in the STEM workforce. Additionally, companies and governments must recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace as it can lead to better company performance, employee engagement, creative problem-solving and workforce retention.
By adopting policies that promote work-life balance, equitable pay, affordable childcare and supportive career advancement opportunities, we can cultivate an environment where skilled women stay in Nebraska.
To address brain drain and female underrepresentation in STEM, there is an opportunity to transform challenges into catalysts for change. It's time to invest in women, retain talent and build a future where innovation knows no gender. Then, we can truly harness the power of every mind to tackle the complex challenges of our world.
In celebration of National STEM Day on Nov. 8, people are encouraged to share their STEM initiatives, success stories and activities on social media with the hashtags #OmahaSTEM and #ShowUsYourSTEM. The goal is to highlight the incredible ways STEM is used in our community.
Julie Sigmon is the director of the Omaha STEM Ecosystem (OSE), a nonprofit organization whose mission is building a stronger STEM community by connecting education and business development for tomorrow's workforce. OSE identifies critical workforce skills, aligns curriculum content with careers of the future and provides access to high-quality STEM education programs for all community members in the Greater Omaha area.
