The MASSIVE STEM Graduate Exodus - What’s Going Wrong? | John Skrentny

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Did you know that most STEM graduates don't end up working in STEM fields?

This surprising fact isn’t due to a lack of demand—tech companies dominate our landscape, from AI to smartphones, yet up to 70% of STEM graduates choose different paths.

Why is that? Are we failing our STEM graduates?

I sat down with John Skrentny, a renowned sociologist and professor at UCSD. John recently explored this issue in his thought-provoking book Wasted Education. We unpack why many STEM graduates feel undervalued and unfulfilled in their jobs, leading them to leave the field entirely.

John shares his thoughts on the cultural and systemic problems within the tech industry that contribute to this attrition.

From poor employer treatment to the toxic work culture, we discuss what needs to change to retain our brightest minds in STEM.

How can we better support them? Tune in to this thought-provoking episode to find out.

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Key Takeaways:

00:00 Intro

01:07 Realities of STEM education and employment

12:18 The leaky pipeline in STEM education

17:35 Job satisfaction of STEM grads

18:36 Wasted Education Book Review

23:32 The ambiguity in the categorization of STEM

41:35 AI and the Future of STEM

51:12 Importance of science communication

58:04 STEM skills treadmill and constant retraining

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Additional resources:

➡️ Connect with John Skrentny:

Website: https://quote.ucsd.edu/jskrentny/

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnskrentny

Wasted Education Book: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo206855230.html

Other books: https://quote.ucsd.edu/jskrentny/books/

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✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating

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✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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