Challenge
The U.S. Census projects 1 in 5 Americans will be Latino by 2020. However, nearly 1 in 5 Latinos currently drop out of high school and only 1 in 8 have a college degree, the lowest rate of any racial/ethnic group.
A recent report indicates that the number of Latino undergraduate students will rise by 45 percent over the next six years. In addition, it is projected that 3 in 5 jobs will require a college degree in the next decade. Of these new jobs, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent, nearly twice the rate of the U.S. economy. Although STEM currently only comprises five percent of the workforce, scientific innovation has produced approximately half of all U.S. economic growth in the last 50 years – but our winning streak is in jeopardy.
In 2009, out of 30 developed countries, the U.S. ranked 23rd in science and below 30 countries in math in middle school test scores. In an age where jobs can be outsourced anywhere with internet connection and where American children compete against students in China and India, higher education is more necessary than ever before to succeed.
It is a national imperative that we ensure that these students have the tools to succeed, achieve their full potential, and contribute as productive and knowledgeable citizens of our society—anything less represents a risk to our collective future as a nation. With Hispanics as the largest minority group in America – and a more influential segment of the American workforce – we must ensure that Hispanic youth are prepared for professional success.