The need for STEM graduates particularly impacts Massachusetts because more than 40 percent of all employment in the Commonwealth revolves around innovation industries such as clean energy, information technology, defense, and advanced manufacturing, according to the Massachusetts’ Plan for Excellence in STEM Education.

Entry-level wages for STEM careers are twice that for all Massachusetts occupations, and 1 out of 5 STEM jobs only require a postsecondary certificate or associate’s degree. High-demand STEM occupations in Massachusetts can take as long as 70 days to fill, and the number of those jobs is projected to grow faster than the overall number of jobs in the Commonwealth.