STEM Careers Story Mapping
Students are often unaware of the jobs all around them. Our work at Northwestern Lower MiSTEM Network focuses on ways to connect education with business and students with career options. We developed the Career Exploration Story Map to help students and educators have a visual representation of both what and where STEM opportunities exist right in their communities.
STEM Career Definition
The definition of a STEM career, according to the Northwestern Lower MiSTEM Network, is a career that integrates the use of knowledge and skills from two or more STEM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. For example, an electrician would need math skills to calculate wattage or amperage, science to understand the flow of current through various types of wire and metals, and engineering to set up the best system for running wires and panels in a building.
Students and educators can use the Story Map to identify companies nearby. Links to the companies’ sites and state employment information can help students learn more about what the companies do and the kinds of jobs they may be interested in pursuing. The Story Map includes:
More than 1,000,000 STEM jobs are projected to be added to the economy during the 2020’s according the the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, representing nearly 10.5% growth compared to less than 7.5% for all other industries. In addition, the median wage for STEM occupations is projected to be $95,420 while $40,120 for non-STEM occupations.
- A Regional Overview
- How to Use the Map
- STEM Career Categories
- County Overviews
- Career Profile locations
Be sure to look at the ways that you can zoom in on area of interest by finding your county or STEM category to take a closer look at. In addition, you can take a look at various career profiles of people living and working in your area. More information and profiles will be added throughout the year.
MiSTEM Network STEM Careers Story Mapping
Career exploration and soft skill lessons that build off of the Story Map can be located on #GoOpenMichigan. These include exploring the companies and careers in the area, communicating through email, creating elevator pitches, connecting employee skills with job requirements, conducting informational career interviews, and being interviewed.
Project Ideas
“I felt that this website was very helping not only for its intentions but also for learning new jobs and companies around me that I did not know of.” – Regional Student
If you are an educator interested in learning more about the lessons or a business with questions about your listing on the Story Map, please contact Shelly VanderMeulen.