Apparently, for many Ohio children, it’s what they don’t want to be that’s worrying state officials, and that’s anything do with STEM careers — science, technology, engineering and math.
Ohio is woefully behind when it comes to producing STEM graduates, educators and legislators say. That’s where the high-paying jobs are, but Ohio is not producing enough qualified workers to fill them.
To correct that, Ohio Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, is co-sponsoring a bill that would offer income tax credits for students who earn degrees in STEM fields and who stay in Ohio at least five years upon graduation. An associate degree would mean a $5,000 tax credit, a bachelor’s degree a $20,000 credit and a master’s degree or doctorate a $30,000 credit.
The credits would be paid 10 percent a year over the course of 10 years. Students who leave Ohio before the five years is up — unless they leave for more STEM education — would have to pay back anything earned from the credit to that point.
“We hear from companies all the time, particularly in engineering, where people say, ‘Look, we can hire a dozen engineers, but we’re having trouble finding them,’” said Hottinger, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. Armond Budish, D-Beachwood. “So a lot of times, they’re not Ohio students filling those jobs.
“Ohio is significantly shorthanded when it comes to students who are pursuing these degrees in college, and we’re significantly shorthanded in people that have those skills as part of their trade set.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM jobs are paced to grow twice as quickly during the next five years as jobs in other fields, with STEM jobs increasing by about 21.4 percent compared to 10.4 percent for other fields.
The U.S. is projected to have more than 1 million STEM openings by 2018, but only about 16 percent of students earning bachelor’s degrees will specialize in STEM fields, data show.
Further compounding the problem in Ohio is that upon graduation, many with STEM degrees flee the state for jobs in California or Texas, Hottinger said.
“We don’t want people coming, getting their degrees, staying a year or two,” then moving, he said. “We want them to be planted and rooted in Ohio jobs and Ohio industries.”
Locally, the STEM dilemma is no secret, and educators are working with younger children to up interest in STEM careers. The Works, for example, focuses on STEM in just about every program it has — though, admittedly, sometimes that’s hidden from the children, said Rori Leath, museum STEM director.
The goal isn’t to shove children into STEM careers, but it’s to show them what’s out there and what their options are, Leath said.
“You can go away to school; you can stay here for school,” she said. “We want them to know what colleges are here. We want them to know what career paths there are.
Long term, Hottinger thinks HB 123 could start a cycle that would attract more businesses and jobs to Ohio. Once industry leaders see Ohio has the workforce to meet their needs, they might be more likely to set up shop here, bringing in more jobs and growth. Then, once students see the available jobs, they might be more likely to choose STEM careers, and so on.
“One of the things we know is that these jobs ... (is that) those are the future of the 21st century. Those are the great-paying jobs,” Hottinger said. “We need to do a better job of growing our talent here in the state and keeping it here in the state, and we think a tax credit will go a long way in helping us to do that.”
HB 123 still needs to be assigned a committee, then hearings could start in January. Hottinger’s hope is it will be in place sometime in 2014.
There’s a cost for sure, he said — tax credits to graduates mean less money for the state — but it’s a price he believes is worth paying.
“Every graduating class that goes by is another lost opportunity,” he said. “For the the long-term viability for the state and keeping the state competitive for these jobs in the future, this is necessary.”
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