Here's Why Veterans Are The Answer to America’s STEM Shortage

Wayne Robinson Founder & Chairman Vets in STEM; Trailblazer for veteran education and employment

It is important for America to begin producing more talent from within

Failure to address labor issues in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) threatens the status and well-being of the United States. There are skills gaps that exist in various technology professions, indicating that the demand for specialized workers outpaces the supply. Because some technology companies rely on foreign talent to meet this high demand, it is important for America to begin producing more talent from within. Military veterans as a group are over-achievers, represent the fabric of American society, and have the mental aptitude to handle the academic rigor required for STEM credentials. So, any effort to close this widening gap should begin with those in uniform. 

Angela Duckworth, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, formulated the idea that success has more to do with grit, the combination of passion and perseverance, than talent and luck. Her New York Times bestselling book on the topic, Grit, details her research in predicting success in a variety of fields such as the military, sales, business and sports. She found that people who showed early signs of potential sometimes dropped out before reaching full potential and that some that are considered successful don’t start off showing the most promise. She found that a person’s “grit score”, a combination of perseverance- overcoming setbacks, hard work, follow through, and passion- long-term adherence to goals and consistency of interest, was a better predictor of success than other measures.

As one of seven kids growing up in subsidized housing in Prichard, Alabama, we didn’t have much but love, books, and the beach. Many times, I would compete with my older brother and cousins to see who could swim the fastest or execute the best dives. Because they were older and stronger than I, they would always win. But there was one event that required the ability to be consistent and not give up; Grit - we would all grasp each other’s hand, go underwater and hold our breath. The last person to let go would be the winner. I was determined to win, even if it meant passing out. More often than not I'd win. It was this same attitude and approach that got me through deployments, some of the toughest training the Army has to offer, two tours in special operations, and eventually the University of Chicago while studying for the Series 7 and pursuing my MBA. I simply refused to quit and was determined to be the most consistent over time.

As an Army Command Sergeant Major I can honestly say that those who serve are some of the grittiest members of society. They self-select to undergo rigorous training to refine their bodies and minds. Many choose to pursue college and advanced studies while on active duty (even while deployed), raising families, staying competitive among their peers, and deploying around the world. They spend years developing physical dexterity and mental fortitude to overcome challenges and obstacles. These experiences shape their attitude and approach to ambiguous situations but also to gaps between current and desired skills. These valuable attributes can also be utilized in their introduction to subjects such as advanced math, science and computer coding.

For many years, psychologists have attempted to locate the “magic formula” needed to achieve success. Many have hypothesized that goal actualization comes to those who possess masterful skills, innate talent, higher quality genes, or perhaps a high IQ; others believe that achievement comes from luck or even fate. While none of those factors have proven to generate any kind of miracle formula, Duckworth’s research demonstrates that over any other measurable factor, possessing the quality of grit is the highest predictor of an individual achieving greatness. In these studies, grit had little relationship to IQ score, suggesting it is an independent character trait. And typically, grit was able to predict success even after accounting for IQ, meaning it contributes to success above and beyond IQ. With this knowledge, it is easy to make the argument that the solution to the current need for national pursuit of STEM studies and careers must involve military veterans.

Diversity drives innovation, and profits according to multiple studies including these by Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and now more than ever there is pressure for businesses to diversify their talent pool. Those that serve our country represent every race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status our country has to offer.

As our country has become more racially and ethnically diverse, so has our military. According to the Department of Defense, the U.S. Military is made up of 40% racial and ethnic minority groups, compared to an approximately 44% minority in the American population ages 18-44. Additionally, America’s active duty military is made up of 15% women and nearly 40% are aged 25 or younger. Businesses would be hard pressed to find a more diverse group of people, making veterans a group that should be considered to bolster the U.S. STEM workforce and increase diversity in these fields.

This is the question that many that are unfamiliar with the military may be quick to think but reticent to say. The short answer: Yes. Nearly 75% of Americans aged 17-24 are ineligible to join the military due to health, physical fitness, educational or criminal reasons. Furthermore, the military is better educated than their civilian counterparts, with over 93% having a high school diploma or some college compared to under 60% of the general population.

For over 50 years, the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) has been used to estimate the “potential” of accessions, as entering recruits are called. This test of verbal and math ability is a subset of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The ASVAB comprises 10 subtests covering the AFQT constructs of word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, and mathematics knowledge as well as electronics information, mechanical comprehension, automotive/shop information, general science, coding speed, and numerical operations. Minimum scores are set not only for basic entry but also for assignment within specific jobs. Further, the Services seek a distribution of ability above the cutoffs. Ask a recruiter how tough it is to find kids who score a 50 or higher and you’ll get thirty minutes of stories of looking high and low to find “Quality” recruits. America is overlooking a valuable natural resource by not tapping into the potential of veterans to remedy the STEM worker shortage.

During WWll, millions of young Americans were drafted into the military. These soon-to-be service members came from occupations such as farmers, factory workers, coal miners, truck drivers, mechanics, and gas station attendants. At the time, only one-percent of Americans attended college to pursue professional studies. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines changed all that. Edward Humes writes in Over Here: HOW THE G.I. BILL TRANSFORMED THE AMERICAN DREAM. “The GI Bill opened college education to the masses, transformed America from a nation of renters into a nation of homeowners, and enabled an era of prosperity never before seen in the world. Doctors, teachers, engineers, researchers and Nobel Prize winners who had never considered college an option rewrote the American Dream thanks to this most visionary legislation in history”. 

Their experiences during the war had changed them and not for the worst. They experienced a sense of camaraderie never seen in their previous line of work, they accomplished feats never dreamed of and when they returned, they enrolled in record numbers to learn and pursue careers in STEM. It is safe to say that a combination of their experiences, GI Bill benefits, their willingness to stick to a task until completed, grit, and opportunities presented in new career fields led the way into middle class America. 

Today, this generation is known as The Greatest Generation. While starting from nothing they fought against outsized odds in places with names they couldn’t pronounce, became exposed to cultures, political ways, and harsh conditions never dreamed of on their farms or in the coal mines. We honor them for creating an America that far exceeded its competitors and one fueled by technology, ingenuity, and a dogged determination. Tom Brokaw writes “From military heroes to community leaders to ordinary citizens, he profiles men and women who served their country with valor, then came home and transformed it: Senator Daniel Inouye, decorated at the front, fighting prejudice at home; Martha Settle Putney, one of the first black women to serve in the newly formed WACs; Charles Van Gorder, a doctor who set up a MASH-like medical facility in the middle of battle, then opened a small clinic in his hometown; Navy pilot and future president George H. W. Bush, assigned to read the mail of the enlisted men under him, who says that in doing so he ‘learned about life’; and many other laudable Americans”.

I believe young veterans today have similar qualities as the Greatest Generation. They have fought on two continents simultaneously, they’ve been exposed to harsh conditions in places with names they couldn’t pronounce and they’ve fought in the longest wars in our nation’s history. Through these life and death challenges they have persevered and emerged triumphant. 

But if veterans today have similar qualities to those of the Greatest Generation why are we not seeing similar results in the percentage of veterans pursuing and graduating with STEM credentials? In my next article, I will cover obstacles that must be overcome in order to have veterans lead the way into STEM career fields.

Wayne Robinson is a University of Chicago Business School graduate and former Army Command Sergeant Major with a passion for entrepreneurship, leadership, and transforming lives through education. He is Founder of Vets in STEM, a Silicon Valley nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of service members and veterans pursuing STEM related studies and careers.

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