Commentary: Science, tech work a boon for Mainers
By refocusing resources, creating new learning paths and integrating educational systems with private-sector partners, Maine can produce a skilled, resilient STEM workforce.
By Ben Gilman and Rachel KerestesSpecial to the Press Herald
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If there has been a silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the heightened attention paid to science. At the same time, we are reminded of the financial burdens faced by so many who lost jobs and income. If we have learned anything from the events of 2020, it’s that Maine’s workforce must be prepared for the unexpected and adapt when it happens.
Scientists in lab coats and Silicon Valley coders that’s what usually comes to mind when thinking about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
But STEM is more than the stereotype. It includes diverse disciplines feeding ever-changing industries, and Maine is fertile ground for STEM development, says Walter Rawle, chairman of the Maine chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
He cites innovations in traditional industries like forestry, agriculture and fishing; and new developments in fields as disparate as bioscience, health care, artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous vehicles, military applications and a concept in the works to develop a Maine spaceport complex.