New Mexico’s challenges in meeting its need for a 21st century workforce
Addressing complex scientific and societal challenges will require a new level of technical competence in the 21st century workforce. However, NM faces many challenges in addressing this need.
Education. Many K-12 students in NM speak English as a second language and attend schools where teachers lack both scientific knowledge and effective teaching strategies. The 2005 National Assessment in Educational Progress ranks NM 49th in eighth grade mathematics and science achievement, with Hispanics and Native Americans ranking far below Caucasians in their performance. Not surprisingly, NM students ranked 43rd among states in their readiness for higher education. As a result, many adult New Mexicans lack access to and the means to grasp scientific information critical to decisions about energy, water, and environmental policy. In higher education, NM's smaller colleges and regional universities have had relatively few opportunities to provide undergraduate students with real research experiences using state-of-the-art instrumentation in the field and laboratory. Junior faculty at NM colleges and universities are often ill-prepared for managing large research projects, communicating results of their research via diverse venues, educating students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and assuming positions of leadership in their academic institutions.
Diversity. As a state rich in ethnic, cultural, linguistic, socio-economic, and geographic diversity, NM has already experienced many of the complex educational, cultural and economic changes that are increasing in other parts of the nation. The state has the highest percentage of people of Hispanic ancestry of any state (44%) as well as a large Native American population (9%). With its minority-as-majority population, NM has a unique opportunity and special responsibility to lead the nation in addressing the shortage in its S&T workforce by educating a new generation of STEM professionals more representative of the nation’s growing minority population. At the same time, NM can develop a stronger STEM workforce and citizenry informed about climate change and its impact on natural resources and economic development.
Response. To respond to these converging needs, NM EPSCoR will introduce a broad range of new learning and research experiences, both formal and informal, across educational levels and age groups, with a focus on Hispanic and Native American students and an emphasis on the research problems described in this proposal. NM EPSCoR is positioned to serve the nation by becoming a laboratory for the development of effective programs that include and engage the state’s diverse population in STEM research and learning activities.
