Infographic: Reasons Why Students and Parents Choose STEM Careers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the next several years, more than one million jobs will open up that require specialized technology skills. However, there won’t be enough numbers of qualified college graduates to fill them.

Harris Interactive conducted two surveys on behalf of Microsoft to understand the shortage of students that take science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related fields. One survey focused on parents with K-12 students while the other one surveyed college students pursuing STEM degrees.

The answer seems to vary by gender. Some female STEM students say it was to make a difference that took the 49% of the respondents, and 61% of male students said that games or toys in their childhoods sparked their interest. For 68% of the female respondents, they say that a teacher or class got them interested in science, math, engineering or technology.

For more information regarding the said surveys, check out the infographic after the cut.

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