There is no doubt that the progress and innovation that we have experienced in recent years is due to the talent of the people who decided to focus their professional studies on careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (or STEM careers for its acronym in English). However, in our country we are currently facing a clear problem: there are still not enough young people interested in studying this type of career despite its positive implications in our society.
STEM careers in Mexico
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in Mexico, only 35% of people who reach higher education are interested in this field, which results in an innovation deficit that is extremely important for our country, especially by the new generations who can contribute their valuable knowledge to find creative solutions to the problems we face today. Due to this situation, today more than ever, we must inspire young people about the various benefits that the world of science can bring, and even more so in a context where digital transformation and the so-called fourth industrial revolution (in which the automated processes and the implementation of state-of-the-art technology in industries) are closer than ever.
In order to increase the percentage of people interested in the wonderful world of STEM careers, we must educate students about its importance, starting from basic education. This can be achieved by investing in courses focused on developing basic programming skills and hackathons, encouraging math competitions, increasing the number of science-related classes (such as labs, natural sciences, and physics, to name a few) , and even give robotics workshops where children can design and start up their own machines. On the other hand, the use of computers and technology in the classroom must stop being a luxury for schools and become a true ally that accompanies students in their classes and they can learn how to get the most out of their equipment.
Addressing the gender gap in science
In the same way, one of the most important challenges that we must face is to fight with the gender gap that currently exists in the STEM world. In this regard, according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), only 3 out of 10 professionals in this field are women, mainly because there is a misconception that these careers are only for men. In this regard, we need to inspire girls through career guidance on how women have made incredible changes in the world of science and invite them to be a part of it so we can reverse these numbers and achieve true equity.
Finally, we must remember that one of the areas where we most need young minds is technology, especially in a scenario in which digital transformation is faster than ever in our country. In fact, according to a report by the global firm EY, 45% of Mexican companies have increased their investment in technological development and these figures are expected to continue to rise throughout 2023, so the role of young people to bring Mexico to new standards of innovation will be key. The world of science is wonderful and I strongly believe that if we continue to support STEM education in Mexico, we will be able to lead our country to the highest levels of innovation thanks to the talent of our young people.
Luis Gerardo Garcia Luis Gerardo García has more than 24 years of experience in the technology and consumer electronics industry, during which he has developed and executed successful strategies for retail, wholesale, small and medium business, corporate, and government markets. Since 2016, he joined AMD as senior manager of Consumer and Commercial for Mexico and Latin America and, as of April 2019, he holds the position of general manager of AMD for the Mexico – CAC region, leading the Consumer, Commercial divisions. and Components.
