WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Area businessmen, scientists, health care workers, engineers, computer experts and mathematicians are invited to participate in an upcoming expo April 5 to provide information to area students and their parents about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The event, called the South Central Missouri STEM Expo, will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the student recreation center at Missouri State University-West Plains. It is being sponsored by the university, Math Educators of South Central Missouri (MESCM), the Missouri State University Math & Science Club, Philanthropic Women for Education, West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI).
According to Jerry Trick, assistant professor of math and an organizer of the event, the expo will be different than a career fair. “At a career fair, people fill out job applications and hope to make a connection with an employer. At this event, we are asking representatives from area STEM-related business and industries to be on hand to help students learn about exciting and rewarding STEM careers and, more importantly, what degrees they should pursue in order to qualify for a job in that field,” he explained.
“It is better for a high school sophomore to realize he or she would like to be an engineer instead of making that discovery when he or she is a sophomore in college,” Trick continued. “In high school, students can take a wide variety of math and science courses and be better prepared to take the required math and science courses for their degree in college. A college sophomore who finally decides to pursue a STEM degree might find he or she will have several more years of courses to take because they got a late start. High school students who know what career they want to pursue can get started on the right degree path immediately.”
Part of this preparation comes from educating students about STEM-related careers, which is the goal of the expo, Trick said. “We would like area businessmen, scientists, engineers, technicians and other experts in STEM-related fields to be on hand to talk about the specifics of their career and to discuss possible educational pathways,” he said. “They know what classes students need to take and degrees students need to pursue to enter the same field of work.”
STEM-related jobs are some of the fastest growing and highest paying jobs locally, regionally and nationally, Trick said. According to the Community College Journal (Oct./Nov. 2012) issue, more than two million STEM-related jobs are expected to be generated over the next two years. Officials at the U.S. Department of Commerce pointed out in a report from 2011 that over they past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs.
Representatives from area businesses, industries and agencies who would like to share their experience with area students, middle school-aged and above, should contact Trick at 417-255-7292 or at JerryTrick@MissouriState.edu by Feb. 15 to reserve booth space.