Shell STREAM report: Graduates need to develop workplace skills

Science, technology, research, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM) graduates are being urged to develop their soft skills in order to be workplace ready.

According to reports, only 43 per cent of employers say graduates are prepared for the workplace after leaving school.

This was one of the findings of the Shell STREAM report, which was compiled in partnership with the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (Niherst).

Senior specialist Ryane Rollocks presented the study results to secondary school students at the Shell STREAM workforce conference at the Hilton Trinidad, on March 7.

The employment of STREAM graduates had a significant impact on innovation, business growth and competitiveness in the workplace, the report said.

It said 32 per cent of graduates were earning less than $5,000 per month and four per cent were earning $15,000 and over, with the majority (55 per cent) earning between $5,000 and $9,999.

It said local STREAM salaries were lower than global benchmarks.

Rollocks said the report was done to examine the employment patterns of STREAM graduates, identify industry needs, workforce challenges, explore career pathways, job market trends and recommend actionable ways to strengthen education and employment in TT.

The four main fields surveyed were engineering, food and agriculture, medical sciences and science and technology.

"Graduates suffered from a shortage of available jobs and a lack of relevant experience for the world of work. The majority of medical graduates said their jobs were related to their field of study, but this was not the case for all our graduates. In the fields of science and technology and food and agriculture, there was a lower alignment between their field of study and their curriculum."

She said the report shows there was lesser participation in the industry by males, children whose parents had a lower level of educational status and people from rural areas.

Rollocks said 73 per cent of STREAM graduates found work after graduation.

She said the most difficult jobs to fill were mechanical engineers, graphic designers, information and communications technology (ICT) personnel, agriculturalists, medical specialists, laboratory technicians and science teachers.

She said students preparing for STREAM careers should gain hands-on experience through internships and apprenticeships, stay updated with emerging technologies, network with industry professionals and participate in STREAM competitions and workshops.

STREAM panellist: "Be open to change."

At the conference, the students participated in an interactive panel with Shell learning advisor Kathy Ann Baynes, Niherst acting president Julie David, Education Ministry curriculum division director Anna Singh, entrepreneur and co-founder of Tech Beach Retreat Ltd Kyle Maloney and OJT deputy director Curtis Daniel.

Daniel told the students that certifications were not enough when entering the workforce.

"We have individuals who come out of school with certifications but cannot pass a behavioural assessment. They cannot work with a team and they cannot communicate.

"I want you to take the learning opportunities you have in communicating, in creative writing and to work as part of a team. I also need you to be open to change."

He said it was important for young people to understand there is a learning curve in the work environment.

"You have to be receptive to criticism. You have to be receptive to someone saying to you, 'This may not be the best way or the best approach.'

"It comes down to you being open to having another point of view and an understanding of looking at things you may not have seen in the first instance."

Singh said students should embrace opportunities they have to work together in teams while in school.

"You should see these as opportunities, not barriers," she said.

Asked how to deal with conflict, Baynes said conflict was not necessarily a bad thing as it meant people had different views.

She said they should be able to communicate their differences and come to a compromise.

Maloney urged students to be the best versions of themselves, which he said might not include having the best grades.

"There are different types of intelligences, not just your academic ability. Some people really excel at being able to talk to people well, being able to communicate well.

"So, if you spend time understanding yourself and learning what you are really good at, and then spend time developing those skills, you will excel beyond your wildest imagination. You can become more successful by understanding you and becoming the best version you could ever be."

Tips to excel in STREAM careers

A student asked what tips the entrepreneur could give to minimise mistakes in choosing and building a career path.

Maloney said the current school curriculum does not embrace the process to get to success.

"The reality is – why should we be afraid to make mistakes? It is a necessary evil to get to that place. That fear of making mistakes is what keeps us back from being really successful. We usually want to take the path of least resistance and stay in our comfort zone.

"With the mindset of not being afraid to take risks, you can step outside your comfort zone and try new things. It’s only in trying things you realise what you’re good at, what you might be incredibly good at or what you suck at. And it’s fine if you’re not good at something, you can spend time crafting what you are good at doing.

"Everything in this life is a stepping stone for something else."

Maloney said he had not started out in ICT as he wanted to become a pilot in high school and then studied engineering at university.

He said he became an entrepreneur after designing a website to resell textbooks and then moved to marketing and ICT.

His company Tech Beach Retreat now connects people and organisations who are working on evolving technology with the resources to do it.

"My path was so not linear. The takeaway is that anything I was doing, I would get really excited about it. Once you are excited about something, you can harness that passion to create something amazing."

One student asked whether his company did internships.

Maloney said there were internships for tertiary level students but he had never thought about what he could offer secondary school students.

"See, now you have me thinking about something I wouldn’t have thought about before and you might have gotten yourself an internship. The answer is always no if you never ask."

David said there was a high demand for careers in advancing technologies like robotics, engineering and ICT.

She encouraged the students to build networks as networking opens doors to opportunities. She said they should be adaptable, flexible and open to new ideas.

Singh said when she was in high school, she hated physics but ended up teaching the subject. She told the students that they should keep their foundational knowledge strong so they could be flexible.

"While the first letter of STREAM is science, it might be a barrier to some students. Your entry into a STREAM career might not necessarily require a focus on science only. It might not be your area of strength or your area of passion, you might love the arts. You might have to remember that research skills do not necessarily come from one area. Technology, engineering and ICT are ways to apply knowledge and you can do that in any field, any subject."

She said the students were at the perfect places in their lives to take risks and experiment with different avenues.

"Try new things, expand your horizons. You can do online courses, co-curriculars, extra-curriculars, practice some of the soft skills.

"You don’t necessarily have to follow the models given to you.

"Traditionally you had narrow pathways to a career. You had to do CSEC and GCE and then you had to go to UWI. Nowadays you have options. You don’t have to be academically based. You can blend the CVQs. You can stack, doing a science subject with a CVQ where you can get practical, hands-on experience.

"Keep ensuring you have options and be flexible to pivot. My definition of hard work is being incrementally consistent."