National Journal: Cognizant President Makes a Case for Investment in STEM Education in the U.S.

“Future American economic competitiveness depends on the nation’s ability to engage and train a robust STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-focused workforce,” writes Gordon Coburn. “For too long now, we have all seen the headlines bemoaning the ‘skills gap’, the dearth of qualified U.S. workers to fill a fast-growing slate of jobs in STEM. April 1 will mark the start of this year’s application period for high-skilled foreign-born workers seeking U.S. work visas. So many of the world's talented workers are expected to apply that the federal government will stop accepting applications in a matter of days, if not hours. That’s why American businesses can no longer accept the status quo. We have an obligation to foster a passion for STEM education right here.”

STEM fields, Coburn notes, represent the jobs of the future. “In the United States, we’re failing to train our kids to be proficient in math and science. Students who do take STEM courses often pursue different lines of work and employers needing to fill STEM-related jobs are already reporting difficulty finding workers. How can we possibly be expected to meet the demand for STEM workers going forward? As a nation we can and must do more,” he writes.

“Policymakers must help create opportunities for STEM education, through funding measures such as the America COMPETES Act,” Coburn adds. “The country also needs modernized immigration policies including the ability to ‘staple’ a green card to the diplomas of foreign-born students graduating from U.S. universities with advanced STEM degrees. And, private industry certainly must contribute,” he observes.

“At Cognizant,” writes Coburn, “we believe deeply in unleashing a desire to learn the necessary skills to thrive in the rapidly-changing global economy. That belief is at the heart of our ‘Making the Future’ education initiative, in which Cognizant has distributed over $5 million to non-profit organizations across the country supporting in-school, after-school and summer programs for children.” He avers, “We’d love to hire the best and brightest America has to offer.”

Cognizant recently awarded 33 new grants to non-profits aiming to inspire the next generation of America’s technology leaders and entrepreneurs. The grants will enable children—particularly underserved minorities and girls—in 22 states to receive over 300,000 hours of high-quality STEM education across a diverse range of topics, including electronics, robotics, computer programming, digital fabrication, 3D printing, and wearable technology. Cognizant also announced a $150,000, three-year initiative at Texas A&M University and plans to hire 10,000 U.S. workers over the next three years.

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