Southwest Florida College is preparing graduates for high demand STEM based careers!

Dr. Barbara Calabro, PhD, Chief Academic Officer for Sextant Education which governs Platt College and Southwest Florida College, is on the STEM committee for the Foundation of Lee County Public Schools and works closely with the county-based STEM team.

According to Dr. Calabro, Southwest Florida College is providing education in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or STEM fields through a number of programs that include:

• All Information Technology programs
• Computer Aided Drafting and Design and Revit classes that are a big part of the design process
• Health Information Management for analyzing a number of costs and expenditures
• Medical Lab Technician
• Nursing
• Graphic Design

Southwest Florida College will take part in STEMTASTIC which is being held on the 31st of May at the School Department. Businesses from Southwest Florida will set up unique demos for students, who will come through with their with parents, to interact with at the tables. Last year there were 600 people at the event and 1,000 participants are expected this year.

Lee County’s education director, Sue Roshon has said, “If we’re going to compete in a global society, our students need to be prepared in STEM. STEM is a big emphasis in countries like China and India, and we have to make it an emphasis here, too.”

A recent U.S. Department of Commerce report found, "It’s no longer good enough just to be proficient in reading, writing and arithmetic. Knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math is critical for future success”

The report also noted, “STEM careers pay better and offer more job security than non-STEM jobs because of higher international demand for those workers”

What does STEM stand for?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In a report created for congress by Jeffrey J. Kuenzi, who is an Education Policy Specialist, he mentions “There is growing concern that the United States is not preparing a sufficient number of students, teachers, and practitioners in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).”

What are STEM programs?

Engineering and Engineering Technologies
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Systems Technology
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Math and Statistics

What Careers require STEM skills?

Computer Aided Drafting & Design (CADD)
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Computer Programmers
Database Administrators

Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning that is listening to employers and providing its students with lifetime placement assistance in today’s most demanding career fields. The college is located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte and Bonita Springs. The Institute of Interior Design is also located within the Bonita Springs campus. For more information, call toll free 888‐279-2342 or visit www.swfc.edu.