27 degrees are offered by Ball State that are considered STEM degrees.
Computer software engineering is a degree being considered by Ball State to bolster the number of STEM degrees.
6 percent is the amount of state money given to Indiana unviersities based on STEM degrees.
• STEM focussed jobs move into Indianapolis
• Since 2001 jobs have grown 39 percent, double the national average
• Indianapolis jobs mean state lags behind
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s efforts to add high-tech jobs have paid off in Indianapolis and surrounding counties — at the expense of the rest of the state, a newspaper analysis has found.
The Indianapolis Business Journal analyzed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and found Indianapolis had 39 percent more jobs in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — in 2012 than in 2001. That’s more than double the national growth rate of 17 percent.
But the rest of the state saw an increase of just 10 percent, and at least four areas — Muncie, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne and South Bend-Mishawaka — had fewer STEM jobs in 2012 than in 2001.
“Indianapolis is somewhat of a sponge city for the whole region,” said Mark Schill, vice president of research at Praxis Strategy Group, an economic development consultant in North Dakota.
Schill said it’s common for high-tech workers to flock to urban areas from smaller communities or move to college towns, such as Bloomington and Lafayette. In Indiana, Columbus is also a hub because of engine-maker Cummins Inc.
But other areas aren’t faring as well. Indiana is still recovering from hits that major manufacturers suffered and put thousands of engineers out of work. The state as a whole also saw the number of computer-related jobs stagnate in recent years, while it has grown rapidly in Indianapolis.
Even with the shortage outside the Indianapolis area, STEM jobs helped offset losses during the recession. STEM employment increased 4 percent from mid-2009 through 2012, while all other careers were still down 0.1 percent, the IBJ reported.
Derek Redelman, vice president for education and workforce policy at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, said it’s hard to develop government policies that promote STEM fields, because researchers disagree on what jobs qualify.
He said government programs, such as an Indiana initiative which gives incentives to four-year state universities that recruit students into STEM fields, need to be broadened to include two-year degrees and certificates.
The state also needs more rank-and-file factory workers with technical certifications, even though they often don’t count as STEM, he said. Many manufacturers say they can’t find enough qualified candidates to fill openings for skilled workers.
“That is the area that Indiana particularly struggles in,” Redelman said. “Not only are we not at the national average, we’re below the Midwest average. And we have the highest percentage of manufacturing jobs in the country.”
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