Did you know that half of all jobs in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) don’t require a bachelor’s degree?
An article in the blog Nerd Scholar quoted Dr. Nasser Hedayat, assistant vice president for career and workforce development, about what Valencia is doing to encourage students to enter STEM fields and the STEM options students will find at Valencia.
In Florida, Valencia College’s Nasser Hedayat told us how faculty and students collaborate with K-12 teachers and industry partners to have hands on activities in the areas of information technology and engineering. Additionally, they have a “Career Pathways” program where Valencia College offers high school students in the Central Florida area to get an associate’s degree while still in high school. Upon graduation, they get an end of course assessment, laying out the job and/or college opportunities in the STEM field. One successful example is the magnet program at Wekiva High School where students are dually enrolled in a science associate’s degree in lasers and photonics upon graduating from high school. They then have the choice to get work in the STEM field or go on to get their bachelor’s degree in STEM.
Click here to read the entire article on how students can become a part of the STEM workforce.