What CEOs Have to Say: Insights on the STEM Workforce

Abstract

Establishing and maintaining the supply of skilled STEM workers are issues that many businesses are currently facing. CEOs can provide unique perspectives on the roles of parents, educators and schools, industry and community partners, and government on this issue. To this end, a Qualtrics panel was used to survey 45 CEOs located in the state of Georgia in the southeastern United States. CEOs responded to open-ended questions that were later analyzed using topic modeling techniques to uncover the themes and the factors that have the potential to increase the number of STEM-capable graduates and, ultimately, a sustained STEM workforce. The results of this study indicate that CEOs perceive parents, educators and schools, industry and community partners, and government as key players who are recommended to interact, engage and collaborate to successfully create a sustained pipeline of STEM talent. Business leaders, university business programs, and business faculty should stay abreast of the factors affecting the supply and demand of STEM workers, and this paper adds value by reporting on CEO perspectives on this important problem.