North Carolina must fill 229,000 jobs in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – by 2018. But the Tar Heel state has a long way to go to prepare the students of today for this workforce of tomorrow, according to findings in a new report by the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice.

North Carolina lags other states in STEM achievement, the report shows. The National Assessment of Education Progress ranks North Carolina 8th graders 40th in science and 21st in math.

Just 26 percent of North Carolina high school students are interested in a STEM major or career.

“The relative decline in the level of achievement and interest in STEM fields in the U.S. has resulted in an inadequate supply of workers with STEM skills and education, while the demand for STEM talent has continued to increase,” Battelle says in the report, “STEM: Building a 21st Century Workforce to Develop Tomorrow’s New Medicines.”

The report and its findings were unveiled Thursday at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

China, Singapore Rank Tops in STEM

While North Carolina’s student STEM achievement trails many states, overall U.S. student achievement trails results from many countries. U.S. STEM student performance trends downward from elementary school through middle and high school levels. The U.S. performance of fourth and eighth graders trails the performance of students in Russia and much of Asia. China and Singapore rank at the top in both math and science.

Meanwhile the demand for STEM skills grows. Battelle’s analysis shows that STEM occupations have grown 12 percent since 2004. These jobs pay well, averaging $82,278 annually in 2012 compared to the $45,790 overall average annual wage. STEM jobs are more stable and they also have a multiplier effect because they support other jobs. STEM accounted for more than 7.3 million jobs in 2012, Battelle’s analysis shows.

“The danger we face today is the possibility that fewer people will enter highly technical fields in the decades ahead, at a time when demand for individuals with these kinds of skills is on the rise,” Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) CEO Robert Bradway said in the report.

N.C. Biotech Industry Steps in

The biopharmaceutical industry accounts for 226,113 jobs in North Carolina, according to Battelle. The report’s focus on the biopharma industry comes in part due to the study being done on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, the industry’s lobbying group. Battelle surveyed PhRMA member companies and their foundations regarding their support or involvement in STEM education. Of the 48 entities surveyed, Battelle received responses from 24.

Based on the responses from the biopharmaceutical companies surveyed, $100 million has been invested in STEM education programs and initiatives in the United States in the last five years. These efforts range from company initiatives to multi-state programs to partnerships with third party STEM education programs. STEM support also includes non-financial contributions, such donation of equipment, the use of facilities and volunteers.

N.C. Efforts

Pharma companies are stepping up to offer STEM opportunities for students. The industry supports 26 STEM programs in the United States; some programs are multi-state programs.

North Carolina is one of six states with 10 or more industry-supported STEM programs. Pharma companies sponsor at least two dozen STEM programs in North Carolina, according to Battelle. Ten of those programs are specifically focused on North Carolina and 14 are national STEM programs that also operate within the state. One of those multi-state programs is offered by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), which operates its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park. 

GSK has offered a “Science in the Summer” program since 1986. The program offers elementary school-aged students the opportunity for free classes and hands-on experiments intended to foster interest in the sciences. An estimated 9,000 students participated in the program last year. The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a partner to the GSK program in RTP.

“North Carolina is blessed to have community-minded biopharmaceutical companies that believe very strongly in investing in education, and this study shows that commitment,” Sam Taylor, president of the trade group NC BIO, said in a statement. “However, as this study also illustrates, there is still more we can do to advance other solid efforts being made to make North Carolina students ready for the jobs of the future.”