Preparing Youth for Tomorrow’s Workforce: Cultivating a STEM Career
Picture yourself as a scientist, studying everything from tiny cells to giant galaxies, or a technologist, creating gadgets and software. How about an engineer who designs and builds bridges, cars and medical equipment? Or a mathematician who uses numbers and logic to solve complex problems?
If you have a passion for experimenting, building or problem-solving there’s a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) profession for you — and a high demand in the workforce.
Within the next five years, there is expected to be 1 million new positions available STEM – more than most other industries.* STEM professionals also tend to earn more money. In 2021, the average worker in a STEM-related role earned more than double what people in non-STEM occupations earned.1
With the need for skilled STEM professionals growing, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is doing its part to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-Century workforce. Discover which factors led these Club alumni to their STEM-related jobs today.
Setting the Stage Early for STEM Interest
Whether youth become scientists, engineers, programmers or something entirely different, early exposure to STEM education can give youth a big advantage in our tech-savvy world.
Through coding and design activities, kids at Boys & Girls Club explore scientific principles while building essential skills like teamwork, perseverance and problem-solving. All Club members also enjoy virtual access to DIY STEM programming and Boys & Girls Clubs’ activity-based STEM curriculum. Virtual content, events and competitions spark STEM career excitement and connect youth to professionals with similar identities and relevant career experiences.
Michael Banks, an alum of Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, relished his time spent in his Club’s computer room.
“The educational classes and activities I participated in helped me discover my love for numbers and the arts,” Michael says.
Michael’s Club experiences, along with his knack for accounting and history, led him to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He later earned his master’s degree in information systems management and now works as a financial analyst at Crown Castle.
“My job involves a lot of communicating with business partners nationwide and presenting on multi-million-dollar initiatives,” Michael says. “Interacting with so many people at the Club helped me build the social-emotional skills and confidence that are key to my success.”
Social-emotional skills like communication and collaboration are just as important in a STEM-related career as they are in any other.
“My time at the Boys & Girls Club helped me become a better leader and communicator, which are crucial skills in an HR job,” says Maleek Henderson, an alum of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area in Virginia.
At his Club, Maleek’s favorite activities were sports and STEM, igniting his competitive spirit and intellectual curiosity. Today, Maleek is an award-winning HR business partner for Caesars Entertainment and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He also created a social app and won the “RISE Collegiate Business Plan Competition”, an entrepreneurship planning and pitching experience for college students.
Trying New Things, Discovering New Passions
When Marshawn Grady joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi, he had no idea it would set him on a path to a career in STEM.
“Originally, I wanted to be a chef,” says Marshawn. “But during my time at my Club, I participated in STEM classes that were so captivating and fun that when I got to high school, I knew I wanted to major in STEM in college.”
Marshawn is one of many Boys & Girls Club alumni to join the next generation of innovators.
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology, he’s now a clinical research scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, contributing to the development and improvement of crucial vaccines.
“Attending the Boys & Girls Club opened doors that I would not have found otherwise,” Marshawn says. “My experiences there helped me become the person I am today.”
Charting Your Own Career Course
Just as no two snowflakes are alike, no two career journeys will be the same. Some will know from a very young age exactly what vocation they want to pursue, while others may explore different interests to discover their true calling. Still, some may make career changes throughout their lives. Whichever path you take is okay, because there’s no single “right” way to build a career.
“As a child, I had no clue what I wanted to be,” says Katrina Manning, an alumna of Boys & Girls Clubs of Indiana. “I kept changing my mind every week. Once, I spent an entire week convinced I wanted to be a police officer and started writing fake tickets to my friends for messiness.”
Katrina worked as a dishwasher and a line cook at a local golf club while in college. After graduation, she spent nearly a decade as a teacher for youth with different abilities before becoming an associate scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“My passion for learning continues as I pursue further education, always striving to expand my knowledge and make a positive impact,” says Katrina. “[My Club] helped me make friends and stay focused on school when I was not sure if school was the answer for me.”
Katrina’s Club-inspired passion for learning also powers her continued commitment to teaching and mentorship. She still holds STEM nights for local youth. “It reminds me of the inspiring sessions we had at the Boys and Girls Club, where mentors would come in and share their knowledge with us,” says Katrina.
Conversely, Ignacio Cabrera grew up loving sports, woodworking, math and science at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Ignacio joined a telecommunications company as a member of the technical staff before moving to UScellular, working his way up from an integration engineer to Lead Service Assurance Engineer.
“My Club showed me how to bring people together and make every person on my team feel welcome,” Ignacio says. “It also gave me practice in meeting new people and holding a conversation.”
When considering a STEM career, think about your own interests, skills and values. Then, research different STEM fields and occupations to learn more about what it takes to be successful in them.
Don’t worry if your path looks different. Trying new things, learning from your experiences, and staying open-minded will help you discover what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. Your journey is just as important as the destination, and every step will lead you to the right career fit.
Great Futures Start Here
Boys & Girls Clubs of America supports young people and communities year-round through safe and inclusive places, caring mentors and life-enhancing programs. Boys & Girls Clubs empower teens to graduate on time with a plan for the future. Join us in supporting the next generation of change-makers.
Caesars Foundation | Crown Castle | Thermo Fisher | UScellular
To learn more, visit BGCA.org/AcademicSuccess
Sources
1 https://blog.dol.gov/2022/02/10/women-and-girls-in-growing-stem-jobs
https://blog.dol.gov/2024/09/06/new-bls-employment-projections-3-charts
https://blog.dol.gov/2022/11/04/stem-day-explore-growing-careers
2, 3, 4, 5 https://www.bgca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Youth-Right-Now-2024_Full-Survey-Results_BGCA.pdf
