In the wake of social justice protests and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations directed human and financial resources toward diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) efforts throughout 2020 and 2021. Yet by 2022, those efforts seemed to have stalled. A report released by STEMconnector this spring takes a hard look at the challenges schools and employers are facing in establishing sustainable and effective DEIA strategies, and offers research-based methods organizations can use to overcome those challenges.
Diversity Gap in STEM
Diversity is critical to innovation and progress in STEM fields. Yet, in 2021, women were just 35% of the STEM workforce – despite being half of the total population. And underrepresented minorities made up just 25% of the STEM workforce, compared to 31% of the U.S. population. Moreover, Hispanic, Black and American Indian or Alaska Native STEM workers had lower median earnings than White or Asian STEM workers, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
“STEM is the foundation for all new scientific and technological insights. Scientific progress depends on people learning about new things and studying existing things in new ways — and having racially and ethnically diverse people included means bringing different lenses, different experiences, different questions, different passions – and getting better results.”
—Xiao-Wei Wang, Natalie Lake, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Diversity Strategies for STEM Organizations
STEMconnector’s report Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in STEM: 2023 offers six strategies organizations can take to help build sustainable DEIA efforts:
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- Develop an understanding of DEIA. This includes defining the various components of DEIA and how they work together to create a sense of belonging for employees, as well as, recognizing the complexity of intersectionality for those who identify with more than one marginalized group.
- Assess DEIA in your organization. This can include conducting a DEIA audit with qualitative and quantitative measures, and openly acknowledging the reality of DEIA within your organization, including shortcomings and areas for improvement.
- Establish DEIA leadership. Build cross-functional teams of executives leadership, employee resource group leaders, and DEI teams – and be sure to build a business case for support of the work these groups do.
- Create DEIA goals. Follow a goal-setting process such as SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) to establish critical benchmarks for your organization to work toward.
- Achieve DEIA goals. Implement your DEIA policies, programs and practices across the workplace – but ensure you work with diverse communities in the process of building those policies and programs.
- Continuously improve DEIA. Organizations, people and society continually evolve, so your DEIA efforts will be an ongoing process of continuous improvement.
Click here to download STEMconnector’s full report on the state of DEIA in STEM in 2023 and get more in-depth advice, statistics, and personal stories shared by leaders in the field.
“Abbott has been operating a high school STEM internship program for over ten years. More than 60% of the students who have participated in the internship since it began have come from diverse backgrounds, 95% of the interns have gone on to study STEM in college or take a STEM job. So we know it’s working. Additionally, more than 70% of former high school interns hired as full-time Abbott engineers are women.”
—Dr. Jo Webber FRSC, CEO, STEMconnector
Diversity by Doing HealthTech can help early to mid-stage healthtech companies reach their DEIA goals. Click here to learn more.