Emerson Global STEM Survey Shows Growing Interest in STEM Careers but Decline in Encouragement

As the world faces a skilled workforce gap, the fifth annual STEM survey by Emerson revealed a generational gap in STEM careers. While nearly all Indians (84%) believe that STEM jobs are important to the country’s future, fewer Gen Z respondents said they felt encouraged to pursue a STEM-based career than Millennial respondents, which make up the generation above them.

With technology accelerating many industries, the skilled workforce gap is growing. To keep up with the rapid pace of change, workers are increasingly looking to their employers to address these upskilling needs: 87% of Indian respondents said they believe companies should do more to train and prepare their STEM workforce.

“As automation and technology become truly ingrained in our workplaces and schools, there’s a growing urgency to prepare the workforce with STEM skills that will be critical to the continued strength of the global economy,” said David N. Farr, chairman and chief executive officer for Emerson. “We want to lead the charge in making strategic investments that will provide both the current and future workforce with the right skillsets to succeed in one of the many tremendous careers made available through STEM – from software development to new technologies in manufacturing.”

There is widespread support of boosting STEM awareness and education: Most of India (96%) say they consider STEM education important to the country’s future. Despite this universal understanding of the importance of STEM, fewer than half of respondents believe their country is ahead in STEM education. In addition, half of respondents said STEM careers in India continue to experience a gender gap, with women lagging behind. Creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to pursue STEM can help address this perception in India – and contribute to growing the global STEM workforce.

Empowering more qualified workers of both genders to explore a STEM career could have a significant impact on the workforce gap. Of the women who said they were not encouraged to pursue STEM careers in India, 41% attributed this missed opportunity in the workforce to stereotypes that STEM careers are for men, and 44% highlighted a lack of female role models in the field.

“Emerson’s global survey shows the vast headroom for growth in India’s STEM workforce, as well as the number of opportunities at hand to prepare the next generation of Indian innovators,” said Rinita Laskar, director of human resources for Emerson India. “We strive to amplify the voices and opinions of our growing number of women engineers at Emerson and equip them with the necessary skills and resources to excel.”