The acronym STEM literally stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In Italian, it also appears in the form STIM (where the “I” refers to Ingegneria, or Engineering) and is used to indicate the group of scientific and technological disciplines and their corresponding fields of study.

The term STEM, originally SMET, was coined in the United States in the early 2000s. This concept was designed to identify a cluster of disciplines considered essential for the country’s innovation and prosperity. The STEM acronym spread after a conference hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a U.S. government agency responsible for basic research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering.

The term soon became widely adopted in both school and university contexts; it therefore served as a framework for updating training programs to better prepare students for a fast-changing labor market.

More than 20 years later, in the report on the Profile and Employment Conditions of Graduates published by Almalaurea*, the academic performance and employment outcomes of STEM graduates are compared with those of non-STEM graduates, with attention given to the main differences by gender and disciplinary group.

The report shows that, five years after graduation, students with degrees in STEM disciplines perform well in the job market, though significant gender differences persist. To assess the alignment between academic studies and professional roles, a degree effectiveness indicator was created: a combination of the formal educational requirements of the job and the skills acquired at university. The findings show that:

• 61.8% of STEM graduates consider the knowledge acquired during their studies “effective or very effective.” (Among other graduates, the share is 58.6%);
• 29.4% consider it quite effective;
• The remaining 8.7% consider it slightly or not at all effective.

*Source: AlmaLaurea.

Even today, STEM degree programmes are predominantly attended by male students. However, the digital consulting sector can create new opportunities to help bridge the gender gap.

If you are looking for a workplace where you can make the most of your STEM educational background, explore the open positions at Atlantic Technologies.