Minorities in STEM


Innovative Inclusive Practices Increase Europe’s STEM Learning Opportunities for Minorities and Women

More minorities and women will join the STEM industry if they are taught equitably and given equal opportunities to learn and grow skills. Europe’s academic institutions and STEM organizations are using innovative learning strategies to rise to the challenge. - BY Debra Jenkins

Projections on STEM labor needs in Europe’s future make the path forward crystal clear. Inclusion of people of all ethnicities, races, genders, and disabilities is imperative. Depending on the source, projections say there will be an 11% STEM labor shortage by 2030 or 7 million STEM jobs that will need filling by 2025.

The reality is that a shortage of STEM labor exists now, with the World Economic Forum saying that nearly half of Europe’s businesses are having recruiting difficulties. Despite inclusive policies at academic institutions, stereotyping holds girls, women, and minorities back from STEM learning and opportunities at all educational levels. Since traditional approaches to closing the gap are not doing enough, education-focused organizations are adopting innovative approaches to break the barriers holding back those interested in STEM learning and careers but hesitant to pursue them due to cultural biases.

Wanted: Proactive Strategies for Action

There are many reasons for the labor shortage. One of them is a lack of inclusion of minorities. For example, Black Caribbean students are acutely underrepresented in STEM education in England, and young women make up just 13% of computing and 23% of physics classes. A government spokesperson reported an £84 million investment in improving computing participation at GCSE and A-level alongside supporting targeted initiatives to get more students from underrepresented groups into mathematics, physics, digital and technical education.

It takes a proactive strategy to bring more minorities and women into STEM. It begins at the primary school level and must continue in the universities and colleges to achieve measurable results that endure long-term, with all schools partnering with STEM organizations striving to increase inclusiveness in STEM learning opportunities. Inclusive policies in European academic institutions are vital in promoting diversity and supporting minority participation in STEM. Given Europe's diverse demographic and cultural landscape, institutional policies are essential for fostering an equitable and innovative environment in STEM fields. However, it takes more than policies to overcome the barriers minorities and women face.

Europe’s ethnic and racial minorities and women face unique challenges in accessing STEM education and careers. Inclusive practices such as targeted scholarships, outreach programs, and mentorship opportunities are crucial. First, there must be institutional recognition that institutional and cultural barriers exist. Many excellent efforts are taking place now to increase inclusiveness in academic institutions, and in some cases, with the support of STEM advocacy organizations. A good example is the Women in Aerospace Europe group (WIA-Europe), which organizes events, trainings, grants, and awards across the aerospace industry. WIA-Europe launched WIA-Europe Working Groups, which are individuals and corporate representatives working on key topics. One of the first three groups established was “STEM Education in Europe.” The policies recommended for schools include helping teachers to create an environment that encourages contact with different vocations without bias and building partnerships to improve STEM and aerospace careers education and engage pupils with ongoing active support.

Disrupting Traditional Approaches to Inclusion

Many European universities and STEM organizations have committed to diversity through strategic plans and charters. Inclusive teaching practices and diverse curricula are essential for supporting minority students in STEM. European academic institutions are increasingly incorporating multicultural perspectives and inclusive teaching methods. Programs like the European Commission's Erasmus+ promote inclusive education and training across Europe.

ETH Zurich is a public research university with a mission of educating STEM students. The Office of Equal Opportunities and Diversity has a broad policy that promotes the inclusion of all members of the institution pursuing education, research, and work. The student recruiting practices and support systems recognize that bias touches people in many different ways, so inclusion embraces all people. The university has several initiatives to address unconscious stereotyping, but importantly, it monitors equal opportunities and does not assume policies and practices are effective.

Exclusion of women in STEM has historically been the primary European focus, but the significant growth of the minority population due to migration has led to an expanded effort to include minorities and others frequently overlooked in learning opportunities. Deloitte evaluated European STEM education to identify ways to increase the participation of members of underrepresented groups.

The Deloitte survey found that 1 of 4 students admits stereotypes keep women away from STEM, and 55% of students believe STEM academic paths offered by informal organizations are a good alternative to university for underrepresented people with a lower socio-economic status. However, employers have shown skepticism about alternative programs, a viable path for individuals historically discouraged from participating in STEM subjects. The students who break through barriers to study STEM have a passion for pursuing a STEM career, but many students allow stereotypes to influence their educational choices. Recognizing the damage stereotyping wreaks is crucial to increasing inclusiveness, and making STEM education affordable, non-biased, and inclusive is essential to fostering equity in STEM.

Deloitte found income and funding opportunities are significant factors when lower socio-economic students decide whether to pursue a STEM degree at university. One of the policy recommendations for the university is combining humanities and arts education with STEM for STE(A)M. The European Commission champions this learning approach, which can break down educational barriers by disrupting traditional approaches. This approach is proving productive in that it blends traditional subjects all students take and subjects that have historically been considered a different realm, unavailable to girls and those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Some European academic institutions supporting STE(A)M include the University of Cyprus in Greece and the Università Telematica Degli in Rome, Italy. The STE(A)M strategy of promoting cross-disciplinary teaching is also applied in primary and secondary classrooms.

Turning Policies into Results

The European educational system has inclusive policies in place, but turning these policies into action to attract and retain minority and women students in STEM remains challenging. Many traditional approaches exist, like teacher training at the primary and secondary school levels and recruitment programs at the university level. However, despite the efforts to date, a wide gap remains in STEM. The only way that Europe can fill the STEM gap is to develop inclusive practices that support the policies. It takes innovative and collaborative strategies that turn policies into results.