JFF in the News: ‘STEM Jobs Aren’t Students’ First Choice. More Hands-On Experiences Could Help, Experts Say’

January 8, 2024

At A Glance

JFF Director Maud Abeel was quoted in a recent Education Week article about strategies schools can use to increase the number of students considering STEM careers.

The article cited a September 2023 Gallup survey in which less than one-third of the teens and young adults polled listed a role in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields as their first-choice career, even though young people, in general, are interested in STEM occupations.

“The findings point to the fact that despite students’ interest in STEM, they’re not finding viable pathways to those careers, or something prevents them from pursuing those careers, and we need to understand what those barriers are and address them,” Abeel told Education Week.