Reskilling America’s Workforce - Exploring the Nation’s Future STEM Workforce Needs - Recommendations for Federal Agency Engagement

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

Reskilling America’s Workforce examines future STEM workforce requirements and why the U.S. can no longer rely on a narrow “STEM workforce.” It describes the hybrid, data- and computation-intensive economy and explains how STEM-capable skills are increasingly essential across non-STEM occupations. Using evidence on working learners, the report links education-to-career alignment gaps to widening skills shortages. It then synthesizes recommendations from a two-day workshop for federal agencies, emphasizing engineering and advanced manufacturing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Four Trends Shaping the Future of the Workforce: Insights from Burning Glass Technologies

Reskilling America’s Workforce: Exploring the Nation’s Future STEM Workforce Needs

Recommendations

Call to Action

Appendix / Participant List

Appendix / Agenda

Reskilling America’s Workforce EXPLORING THE NATION’S FUTURE STEM WORKFORCE NEEDS Recommendations for Federal Agency Engagement A RE PORT FROM A WORKSHOP FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS-HIGHER EDUCATION FORUM BHEF is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of the Fortune 500 C-suite executives and leading university presidents dedicated to advancing innovative education and workforce solutions and improving U.S. competitiveness. BHEF utilizes the latest market intelligence to develop industry and higher education partnerships, change models, and innovative talent solutions in high-demand and emerging fields. Through these methods, BHEF creates impactful, long-lasting, and essential pathways that align higher education curriculum with evolving needs of today’s workforce. [Learn more at www.bhef.com](Learn more at www.bhef.com). 01 Introduction 04 Four Trends Shaping the Future of the Workforce: Insights from Burning Glass Technologies 06 Reskilling America's Workforce: Exploring the Nation's Future STEM Workforce Needs 08 Recommendations 10 Call to Action 12 Appendix / Participant List 16 Appendix / Agenda | | | --- | | INTRODUCTION
According to the recent National Science Board publication, Our Nation’s Future Competitiveness Relies on Building a STEM-Capable
Workforce: A Policy Companion to Science and Engineering Indicators 2018, the [number of U.S. jobs](number of U.S. jobs) requiring “substantial science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) expertise” has increased 34 percent over the past decade.
The report also notes:
The U.S. can no longer rely on a distinct and relatively small“STEM workforce.” Instead, we need a STEM-capable U.S. workforce that leverages the hard work, creativity, and ingenuity of women and men of all ages, all education levels, and all backgrounds. A STEM-capable workforce provides the U.S. with an enduring competitive advantage. Building and sustaining it will require cooperation and commitment from local, state, and federal governments, education institutions at all levels, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses large and small. | | RESKILLING AMERICA’S WORKFORCE: EXPLORING THE NATION’S FUTURE STEM WORKFORCE NEEDS 1 | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | 14M
STUDENTS IN U. S. POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
42%
OF FULL-TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE JOBS | Furthermore, over the past two decades, the diffusion of digital technologies to companies in nontechnology sectors has created a hybrid economy. In this economy, companies have become increasingly data and computation-intensive organizations, which changes their business models and their talent needs. According to Burning Glass Technologies,¹ hybrid jobs in a hybrid economy require a mixed set of skills from different fields. In particular, STEM-related skills, such as cybersecurity, computer science, and data science and analytics, are no longer limited to traditional STEM occupations, but instead are essential to many non-STEM occupations.
But even as the nature of work evolves and the need for STEM skills within the non-STEM workforce increases, STEM fields in postsecondary education are taught largely as they have been for generations. Moreover, non-STEM fields have been slow to integrate STEM knowledge, skills, and competencies into their pedagogical frameworks. Companies are reporting widening skills gaps across sectors, particularly in STEM areas.
One potential avenue for students to develop career skills is through jobs. Full or part-time work is a reality for approximately 14 million students in U.S. postsecondary institutions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 42 percent of full-time college students and over 80 percent of part-time students | | | | | have jobs.² In addition, 46 percent of students at four-year colleges and 60
percent at two-year colleges are employed. Full-time students who are bl

FAQs

Why does the report argue the U.S. needs a STEM-capable workforce rather than a distinct STEM workforce?

It states that jobs requiring substantial STEM expertise have grown significantly, and STEM skills are now needed broadly. A STEM-capable workforce is framed as a durable competitive advantage requiring coordination across government, education, and business.

How does the hybrid economy change talent needs and the role of STEM skills?

Digital technologies drive companies toward data and computation-intensive operations, creating hybrid jobs that need mixed skills from multiple fields. STEM-related capabilities like cybersecurity, computer science, and data analytics are described as essential across many non-STEM roles.

What problem related to education-to-career alignment does the report highlight?

It notes that although many postsecondary students work, the relevance of their jobs to academic or career interests is often minimal. It also points to limited integration of STEM knowledge into non-STEM programs and widening skills gaps across sectors.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret