A nation’s progress is increasingly reliant on the exploitation of scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical (STEM) knowledge. Active citizenship, a population’s wellbeing and the economy are supported by STEM know-how. These are all key to maintain Malta’s wellbeing and economic rate of growth.
STEM knowledge is linked to many points. Government initiatives (evidence based ones) need a populace to understand the research behind the policy. Informed citizens are also more likely to support initiatives such as improper disposal of waste, cleaner sources of energy, environment conservation, climate change and the effects of pollution. There is also a strong link between a high level of education and people’s quality of life, their health, general safety, stress levels, healthy eating and balanced diet. Apart from all the above benefits, an economy is tied to STEM-related innovations from hair dyes to secure financial services.
STEM careers are linked to a wide range of skillsets that range from problem solving to curiosity and persistence. STEM employees make use of a varied skillset based on 21st century skills and competences. Now, more than ever, employers and employees are faced with specific industry skills that are hard to find. The European Union’s 2020 growth strategy plan is trying to meet this issue by supporting initiatives that equip today’s workforce with the right skills.
The EU organisation Cedefop has estimated that by 2025 around 26 per cent of all jobs will be in STEM-related fields (specifically in Science, Engineering, Healthcare, Business and Teaching). Despite the job opportunity, finding people with the right skills is proving quite difficult. If this demand is not met the economy will suffer. All over Europe there will aren’t enough STEM graduates.
The current shortfalls of STEM skilled workers coupled with an expected increase in STEM jobs over the next 10 years will result in missed opportunities if people do not embark on STEM-related careers. This will also impact Malta’s ever-growing economic sector. The time to act is now.
The Malta Council for Science and Technology, the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology have embarked on a national campaign to promote STEM Engagement in relation to employability, personal growth and active citizenship. This campaign will also encourage students to undertake STEM related careers, with the support of the Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo. The campaign starts with a National STEM Engagement Conference on Friday, May 3, 2019 at ESPLORA Interactive Science Centre, Kalkara.
Did you know?
• The Brazilian Wandering Spider can cause its victims to suffer from extremely painful erections, which can last for up to four hours.
• A single solar flare can release the equivalent energy of millions of 100-megaton atomic bombs.
• The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is the world’s largest butterfly, with a wingspan of up to 12 inches.
• A lightning strike can reach a temperature of 30,000oC.
• You could theoretically lose weight eating celery since it takes more calories to digest celery than are contained in the vegetable.
• Oxygen is the most common element in the Earth’s crust.
For more trivia see: www.um.edu.mt/think
Sound bites
• History can tell us a lot about the Crusades, the series of religious wars fought between 1095 and 1291, in which Christian invaders tried to claim the Near East. But the DNA of nine 13th century Crusaders buried in a pit in Lebanon shows that there’s more to learn about who the Crusaders were and their interactions with the populations they encountered.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190418131410.htm
• A small clinical trial has shown that gene therapy can safely correct the immune systems of infants newly diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening inherited disorder in which infection-fighting immune cells don’t develop or function normally. Eight infants with the disorder, called X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID), received experimental gene therapy. They experienced substantial improvements in immune system function and normal growth up to two years after treatment.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190417171019.htm
For more science news, listen to Radio Mocha on Radju Malta and www.fb.com/RadioMochaMalta/