STEM education from the industry practitioners' perspective

This study explores the industry practitioners' perspective on skills required for success in STEM industry professions. Literature review and industry reports indicate that there is an existing gap in the skills acquired by students in STEM majors and the industry expectations of skills. A mismatch in the skills possessed by graduates could result in longer learning curves and decreased employee productivity. The objective of this study is to identify the most important skills desired by industry from college graduates in STEM related fields and add new perspective on STEM education curriculum improvement. The study used a mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop a list of STEM skill indicators and factors. The list of 20 skills was initially identified through qualitative interviews with industry practitioners' and college students. The list of skill indicators were then validated with literature reviews and grouped into 4 factors: Soft skills, Technical skills, and Experience and Managerial skills. The skills and groupings were presented for industry practitioner feedback at a research symposium prior to conducting the quantitative approach of this study. A survey was developed and tested with a pilot group of industry practitioners. The survey was improved in alignment with the feedback received during the pilot study and deployed for data collection. Each identified skill indicator was presented with a Likert scale, for industry feedback on the perceived importance in STEM related industries. The mean value was then used to rank the most important indicators and factors from the industry practitioners' perspective. The rankings and findings of this study are expected to provide valuable information for academics, industry and college students in STEM related fields. The corresponding results can be used to help improve academic curricula, expand college and industry partnerships, and better cater to industry expectations by improving the output quality of college graduates in STEM fields.