(
Science,
Technology,
Engineering,
Mathematics) An umbrella term used by the U.S. government for the major categories of highly skilled occupations. In the U.S., there are challenges in this area. STEM education in America is perceived to be less rigorous compared to other countries, and due to lower salaries, there is a STEM teacher shortage. For a long time, test scores for American high school students in STEM skills have generally been behind other countries.
China produces more STEM graduates than American graduates in all disciplines. Of course, China's population is four times that of the U.S. Nevetheless, there are six million STEM graduates every year in China and India combined, compared to roughly 800,000 in America. Considering the populations of the three countries, the ratio of STEM graduates is about equal. Nevertheless, there are more tech-savvy people being trained outside the U.S. every year.
STEAM
An umbrella term for STEM that also includes the arts is "Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Mathematics." See
high tech.