Henry completed his machinist training at Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, NJ. His peers specialized in areas such as electronics, auto mechanics, cabinetry, and drafting.
Thanks to the solid technical education they received, all have built successful careers.
Recently, Education Week reviewed and analyzed information on salaries, job demand, and training requirements for STEM professions, highlighting the following blue-collar STEM roles as the most sought after: industrial machinery mechanics, automotive service technicians, health technologists, home healthcare aides, and computer user support specialists.
These occupations are expected to experience notable growth, with some projected to increase by 40 percent or more. Additionally, cybersecurity presents many career opportunities.
Blue-collar jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are changing our approach to these fields.
A few weeks after Labor Day in 2017, Dr. Victor McCrary, who is now the chair of the National Science Board (NSB), provided a clear definition of blue-collar jobs in STEM while speaking at a panel on this topic. He stated, “The NSB, the governing board of the National Science Foundation, cares about the STEM workforce. This includes 'blue-collar STEM' workers, or what the National Academies have termed the 'Skilled Technical Workforce.'"
There is an ongoing national discussion about the need to replenish the pipeline of skilled workers by training future blue-collar STEM professionals.
This renewed focus aims to reverse the trend identified by David Stern of UC Berkeley, which notes that the “non-college track” is gradually disappearing from American high schools.
From national policies to National Science Foundation programs, there are high-level discussions on the best ways to fill these essential jobs with high school graduates and others seeking training outside of a traditional four-year degree.
To increase your appeal to potential employers when pursuing a blue-collar STEM job, there are two optimal ways to prepare: through apprenticeships and internships.
Blue-collar STEM careers encompass positions that require technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and specialized training that exceeds a high school diploma but falls short of a traditional four-year degree.
These jobs span multiple industries, including information technology, computer science, engineering, and energy.
In the realm of blue-collar STEM, roles range from staff who install, maintain, and service systems in homes and businesses to programmers who develop and maintain landing pages, login portals, servers, and databases.
While some STEM careers demand a four-year or graduate degree, over half of these positions are available to applicants without a traditional four-year college degree.
Typically, blue-collar STEM jobs require apprenticeships and the acquisition of technical skills, which are essential for electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians.
These workers install, service, and maintain infrastructures, which can include everything from state and citywide systems to individual businesses and homes.
According to "The Hidden STEM Economy," installation, maintenance, and repair occupations account for 12 percent of all STEM jobs, making up one of the largest occupational categories.
Education-adjusted wage premiums for blue-collar STEM jobs are, on average, 10 percent higher than those for their non-STEM counterparts, with an average salary of $53,000. In some regions of the country, these average wages can be 50 percent higher than in non-STEM fields.
Notably, graduates of apprenticeship programs—more common in STEM fields—earn an average of $250,000 more in lifetime earnings, according to a study by the Harvard Business Review.
For example, electricians and plumbers earn an average of around $57,000, while HVAC technicians earn an average of $50,000. IT professionals, including web developers and computer programmers, earn significantly more than the national average of $47,000.
These higher-than-average salaries become even more appealing when considering that obtaining a bachelor's degree only raises the average U.S. salary to $70,000 but may carry the burden of student loans and fewer years of earnings while in school.
Moreover, blue-collar STEM jobs are geographically more widespread than higher education STEM occupations, which tend to be concentrated in metropolitan areas. This is encouraging news for students across the nation seeking higher-paying jobs than the average.
Blue-collar STEM careers are expected to continue growing and thriving as the overall trend of STEM career growth persists.
However, it remains uncertain how national policies and programs will influence the decline of apprenticeship programs and the increasing focus on preparing students for college instead of career and technical education.