Assuring the U.S. Department of Defense a Strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce (2012) / Chapter Skim
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4 Limitations to Meeting the Workforce Needs of DOD and the Industrial Base
4 Limitations to Meeting the Workforce Needs of DOD and the Industrial Base
Pages 83-100
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From page 83... ...
While there is no evidence that a shortage of workers with the STEM skills necessary to meet the workforce needs of DOD and the industrial base currently exists, except in selected areas such as cybersecurity and selected intelligence fields, meeting the workforce needs associated with emerging technologies in the light of existing workforce trends and DOD policies could be problematic. First this chapter examines some of the supply and demand issues shaping the limitations likely to be faced by DOD and the industrial base in the coming years, and it then recommends some approaches that DOD might take to mitigate these limitations.
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From page 84... ...
are even more underrepresented in STEM fields. While the overall percentage of 24-year-olds 3The other broad categories under consideration are physical sciences; mathematics/statistics; computer sciences; and engineering.
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From page 85... ...
in the United States holding a STEM degree is 6 percent, it is only 2.7 percent among African-Americans and 2.2 percent for Latinos (Mervis, 2010)
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From page 86... ...
· Among the temporary visas types, temporary work visas (primarily H1-B) have grown the fastest and are now nearly as plentiful as temporary study visas.
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From page 87... ...
. During 1990s 26.7 25.1 28.6 10.9 8.7 Green card During 1980s 42.5 9.3 31.9 7.2 9.1 Temporary work Temporary study During 1970s 48.4 29.1 9.2 6.9 Temporary dependent Temporary other Before 1970s 51.3 28.6 13 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Percent of visas FIGURE 42 STEM-educated migrants in the United States in 2003 by initial entry visa type and cohort.
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From page 88... ...
Such visas likely account for the largest number of highly skilled workers who are entering the country with temporary work visas. 17 These visas are typically issued for 3 years and can be renewed for an additional 3-year period.
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From page 89... ...
At the doctoral level, temporary residents earned 35 percent of all S&E degrees awarded in 2009. But they accounted for 57 percent of doctoral degrees awarded in engineering, 44 percent in physical sciences, and 54 percent in computer sciences, although only 29 percent in the biological sciences and 8 percent in medical/other life sciences.22 A large number of these temporary residents, especially at the doctoral level, stay in the United States for at least 5 years after graduation, although the numbers vary by source country.
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From page 90... ...
While this is not much of a problem at the BS level in engineering, where international students represent only a small percentage, 24 it is a significant problem for positions requiring graduate engineering degrees, where the percentage of temporary residents, as noted earlier, is much higher. A recent study of personnel security clearances found that progress has been made in reducing the time to adjudicate applications (Government Accountability Office, 2010)
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From page 91... ...
. It should be noted, however, that in addition to the array of occupations normally included in STEM employment numbers -- engineers, math and computer scientists, and life and physical scientists -- BLS included STEM technicians, architects, postsecondary teachers in STEM fields, STEM managers, and those in STEM-related sales jobs in a recent study of the STEM workforce (Cover et al., 2011, pp.
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From page 92... ...
Quality of Work To attract top talent, the work DOD and its industrial base offers must offer sufficient challenge and importance to excite the most creative and highly skilled workers, and to motivate them to achieve peak performance. "Pay for performance" personnel policies can be implemented, but if the work is not sufficiently exciting, pay alone will not be enough.
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From page 93... ...
Such projects included the Persistent Threat Detection System for persistent ground surveillance through a tethered aerostat with an embedded camera; a Biometric Automated Toolset for screening personnel in mobile applications; and the SKOPE intelligence cell, a joint analytic cell with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, U.S. Special Operations Command, and U.S.
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From page 94... ...
Work Environment In order to attract the highest-quality workers, the DOD should consider personnel policies as they relate to the ability of DOD to attract, retain, and develop the STEM workforce it needs. In a July 2010 study entitled Defense Acquisition Workforce Modernization from the Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the University of Maryland, the authors posit that "to effectively develop the required human capital for the modern acquisition environment, we believe that DOD should enhance its recruitment processes; improve the hiring process; strive for quality not quantity; provide compelling wages; incentivize employees for improved performance; and, incentivize employees for additional training and education" (Gansler et al., 2010)
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From page 95... ...
Outreach and recruiting efforts could be amplified by offering highly qualified young science and engineering students internship opportunities in R&D in appropriate DOD labs, thereby exposing them to the exciting science and engineering challenges faced by the DOD. There is no question that STEM disciplines will continue to grow in importance as defense capability becomes more technology-driven.To respond to this, one possibility would be to create a specialized recruiting function within the DOD that would be responsible for STEM recruitment and hiring.
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From page 96... ...
. Moreover, this eligibility rate is more than double the estimated retirement eligibility rate of the defense industrial base workforce.
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From page 97... ...
The United States, including DOD and its industrial contractors, is competing in an ever-growing world market for top scientific and engineering talent. For the DOD to recruit top STEM talent in competition with commercial firms, universities, and others, it must commit to improving the STEM workforce environment.
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From page 98... ...
2010. Personnel Security Clearances: Progress Has Been Made to Improve Timeliness but Continued Oversight Is Needed to Sustain Momentum.
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From page 99... ...
. The New STEM Labor Market Segmentation: Implications for Meeting Workforce Needs of DoD and the Industrial Base.
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