There is a superficial push to "get more people into STEM". But STEM is undermined by reducing competitiveness. What we are creating is a watered down and un-competitive STEM
I agree in part. I think we have a major weakness in general competence, resourcefulness, tenacity & technical ability that would be needed for a large segment of production– like your welding factory example.
But much of the growth and competitiveness will come from very sophisticated industries requiring highly specialized STEM experience.
Think of a Tesla or Space X company. You need both a large number of competent technically skilled people. But they are powered by an adequate and smaller number of very highly specialized researchers and engineers designing the product.
Both of these segments are lacking investments in the USA
> But they are powered by an adequate and smaller number of very highly specialized researchers and engineers designing the product.
It doesn't work this way. You will get very smart people knowing what to do.
But they will not come to work in your city if there will be no factories to make their smart designs, and hire them.
Many tried, many, many to just have RnD shop, and ship everything else to China.
It did not work even for Apple for example. Most of their engineering has moved to China, and they are very shy getting public about this fact. People in Apple RnD office in Kerry Plaza for example were for years forbidden to even disclose the fact that they worked for Apple.
