3 ms·

I don't know, complaining about lack of STEM and throwing in a side-swipe to equity thinking isn't that helpful to answer what we need to run our fabs. In my ex

I don't know, complaining about lack of STEM and throwing in a side-swipe to equity thinking isn't that helpful to answer what we need to run our fabs. In my experience you need a ton of people with practical thinking skills, good work ethic and some hands-on training. I think you'll find enough nerds to fill the engineering/science pipeline. The real problem is with the broad technical workforce, that needs to be bolstered.

WillPostForFood 3y ago
In my experience you need a ton of people with practical thinking skills, good work ethic and some hands-on training. So you don't think STEM education is important? It seems like you left that out of the list intentionally, but not sure. If so, also consider not whether it is important to the fabs, but whether it is important to kids who eventually want and need jobs. You probably will be able to kill fabs with the nerds in the engineering/science pipeline, but you are then excluding 95% of the current student base.
- zwieback 3y ago
  Sorry, I was unclear. I think STEM is very important but I don't think we need to force everyone into it. I think there are enough STEM-interested kids that will choose this route, if you start with the assumption "STEM is so important we have to make sure everyone gets some" then you have to answer the question how to make it accessible to everyone. I'm in favor of outreach programs and picking out top performers but I don't think forcing a minimum level of STEMness across all students is wise.
  - WillPostForFood 3y ago
    I don't think we need to force everyone into it. 100% agree! We need myriad education options for myriad types of students. But the legit critique of the "equity approach", as is happening in the Bay Area, is that it is you they aren't allowing students to advance in STEM (especially M), even students want to. It is not forcing a minimum level, it is capping max level at a relatively low/mid spot.

WillPostForFood 3y ago

In my experience you need a ton of people with practical thinking skills, good work ethic and some hands-on training. So you don't think STEM education is important? It seems like you left that out of the list intentionally, but not sure. If so, also consider not whether it is important to the fabs, but whether it is important to kids who eventually want and need jobs. You probably will be able to kill fabs with the nerds in the engineering/science pipeline, but you are then excluding 95% of the current student base.

zwieback 3y ago
Sorry, I was unclear. I think STEM is very important but I don't think we need to force everyone into it. I think there are enough STEM-interested kids that will choose this route, if you start with the assumption "STEM is so important we have to make sure everyone gets some" then you have to answer the question how to make it accessible to everyone. I'm in favor of outreach programs and picking out top performers but I don't think forcing a minimum level of STEMness across all students is wise.
- WillPostForFood 3y ago
  I don't think we need to force everyone into it. 100% agree! We need myriad education options for myriad types of students. But the legit critique of the "equity approach", as is happening in the Bay Area, is that it is you they aren't allowing students to advance in STEM (especially M), even students want to. It is not forcing a minimum level, it is capping max level at a relatively low/mid spot.