Opening Doors with STEM-for-All Partnership & Research Initiative

The STEM-For-All Partnership and Research Initiative is an initiative overseen by the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research in the College of Education at Texas State University. This initiative is funded by is a collection of three federal appropriation awards under the sponsorship of U.S. District 31 Representative John Carter in FY 2022, FY 2023 and FY 2024. The overall goals of the project are as follows:

1. To grow the capacity of the community as a STEM hub that is committed to attracting and supporting STEM-related target industries such as innovative manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare, and technology and computing.
2. To partner with area educators and community members to provide inspiring STEM engagement activities for K-12 students, their parents, and community members.
3. To enhance the STEM content knowledge and instructional practices of educators through the delivery of STEM-related professional development activities and externship opportunities.
4. To produce and disseminate research related to STEM workforce development that will inform business leaders, educators, and policy makers as they make decisions, policy, and investments to advance the economic vitality of the region.

Over the years the initiative has helped fund a number of programs, including teacher development and student STEM engagements, community engagement and outreach programs, and high school internships. The initiative has also funded and partnered with faculty from the Texas State Department of Occupational Workforce and Leadership Studies (OWLS) to conduct research briefs that have covered a number of workforce areas impacting Williamson County and other surrounding counties. The latest research compiled evaluates STEM workforce pathways and the role that Texas State University plays in meeting the needs of industry:

• Pathways to STEM Careers: Degrees, Occupations, and Earnings – Provides high school students and parents with general salary ranges for specified STEM areas.
• Recruiting Texas State’s Best Talent: Matching Undergraduates to Employer High-Demand STEM Occupations – Provides insights on Texas State University undergraduate degrees to STEM occupations.
• The Texas State STEM Pathway: Connecting Undergraduates to High-Demand Occupations – Provides insights to job titles tied to undergraduate degrees and statewide employment and salary information.

Texas State University, especially the Round Rock campus, continues to be an important partner in the Round Rock and Central Texas workforce ecosystem, and their efforts to meet the needs of industry continues to elevate our local economy.

Click here for more information on the STEM-For-All Initiative.

For more workforce information and additional resources, please contact Zach Scott, Sr. Director of Workforce and Industry Development, at zscott@roundrockchamber.org.