WASHINGTON – Six leading organizations representing the technology industry joined together today in calling on lawmakers to include strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education provisions in any Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization Congress may pass. In a letter to lawmakers involved in the reauthorization negotiations, the technology groups said “it is vitally important to strengthen the STEM skills of our nation’s students.”

“In today’s knowledge-based economy, the ability of our students to have direct access to STEM education and education technology are critical steps in maintaining our country’s competitiveness, now and in the future,” the groups write. “Far too many graduates enter the workforce without adequate exposure to STEM and sound technology literacy skills, threatening American innovation and job growth.”

In the letter, the technology groups said many of their companies are unable to expand and further boost the economy because they are experiencing a shortage of skilled U.S. workers in needed STEM fields. They noted that even as job creation is expected to increase in these fields, the U.S. is expected to face a shortfall of approximately 223,000 STEM workers by 2018, underscoring the need for a refocused effort to improve STEM education.

The letter, sent by the Application Developers Alliance, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Internet Association (IA), NetChoice, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and TechNet, can be viewed by clicking here.

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