Innovators: Tackling The Need For A Technical Workforce

“If we’re going to have the technical workforce that this country needs, we’re going to need to look really closely at science and engineering in college, and look at how can we teach more effectively … and also more inclusively,” says Lisa Hunter, founder and director of the Akamai Workforce Initiative (AWI) at University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. With help from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Hunter and her team at AWI are working on the training and retention of a diverse student population in electro-optics through a curriculum that is designed to meet workforce needs in astronomy, remote sensing, and other technology industries in the state of Hawaii. According to Hunter, several AWI alumni have either entered the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce or are continuing their education in a STEM-related field.

 

Provided by the National Science Foundation

Runtime: 2:45

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