Science, Math Education Gap Fueled by Lack of Knowledge on Career Opportunities, Survey Shows

Emerson announces extended ‘I Love STEM’ campaign with YouTube star Hank Green to build awareness and excitement around Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers

ST. LOUIS (April 27, 2016) – Demand for scientists and engineers has never been stronger, but many young people in the U.S. are avoiding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) because they don’t understand the opportunities, according to a new survey released today by Emerson (NYSE:EMR).

The survey* revealed that 42 percent of respondents would have considered a career in STEM fields had they better understood a potential career path, and one-third of respondents didn’t pursue a STEM career because it seemed too hard. Additionally, women were significantly more likely than men to avoid a career in STEM because they were afraid they wouldn’t succeed.

These findings demonstrate an ongoing need to educate young people on the vast opportunities that can await STEM-educated college graduates as they enter the workforce. To help address this need, Emerson today announced an extension of its groundbreaking “I Love STEM” campaign, a multimedia initiative focused on showing the connections between today’s innovations and the scientists and engineers behind them. YouTube star and self-proclaimed “science nerd” Hank Green will continue in his role as a high-profile spokesperson for the marketing and social media initiative.

“Scientists and engineers power human progress, and STEM education drives these incredibly important careers,” said Emerson Chief Marketing Officer Kathy Button Bell. “Emerson is committed to reaching out to the young people who will become leaders and innovators for Emerson, our customers and other organizations around the globe. We saw a tremendous response to I Love STEM last year, and we’re looking forward to turning up the volume over the year to come.”

Despite confusion about STEM career paths, most adults surveyed had high opinions of engineers, with 65 percent of respondents agreeing that engineers are creative, and only 30 percent viewing engineers as perfectionists.

Emerson has a long history of supporting STEM education initiatives. While I Love STEM is the highest-profile campaign the company has supported to date, it maintains strong commitments to STEM and robotics programs in communities across the U.S.

Green is well-known for his YouTube channels Vlogbrothers, Crash Course and SciShow, which combined have more than 10 million YouTube subscribers, nearly 2 billion video views, and nearly 4,200 videos.

“STEM education is a topic that is near and dear to Emerson, and we’ve made a real difference over the past year in raising awareness with I Love STEM,” Button Bell said. “The new survey shows that we have more work to do to help reduce misunderstandings about science and math fields. We’re glad to continue this important work in the months to come.”

About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Sales in fiscal 2015 were $22.3 billion. For more information, visit Emerson.com​.

*The survey sample consisted of 1,000 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older ​​