---
title: "To Do: Expand STEM Initiatives to Include Industrial Skills"
summary: |-
  Congress should help restore America’s advanced manufacturing output by transforming “STEM” initiatives into “STEMI” initiatives—adding a focus on industrial skills to science, technology, engineering, and math.
date: "2010-12-07"
issues: ["Skills and Future of Work"]
content_type: "Knowledge Base Articles"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2010/12/07/to-do-expand-stem-initiatives-to-include-industrial-skills/"
---

# To Do: Expand STEM Initiatives to Include Industrial Skills

# Recommendation

Congress should transform “STEM” into “STEMI” by expanding science, technology, engineering, and math initiatives to include a focus on industrial skills.

# Details

If the United States is to restore its advanced manufacturing output even to just global average levels (as a share of GDP), it will need more skilled manufacturing technicians. In addition to investing more in homegrown talent development, we cannot just focus on STEM in schools and colleges; we need to focus on highly advanced industrial (“I”) skills.

**Keep reading:**

- Robert D. Atkinson and Merrilea Mayo, “Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to STEM Education” (ITIF, December 2010), [https://itif.org/publications/2010/12/07/refueling-us-innovation-economy-fresh-approaches-stem-education/](https://itif.org/publications/2010/12/07/refueling-us-innovation-economy-fresh-approaches-stem-education/).

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2010/12/07/to-do-expand-stem-initiatives-to-include-industrial-skills/*