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Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in the United States. The 2010 U.S. Census revealed that there are 50.5 million Latinos in this country, comprising 16% of the total population and 14.3% of the workforce. These numbers are expected to increase rapidly in the next few decades. By 2030, it is estimated that Latinos will make up more th

an 20% of the population and over 22% of the labor workforce, increasing their standing as a major driving force in the U.S. economy and labor market.

But what types of careers will the expanding Latino population be able to access? The fastest growing jobs in the U.S. are in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers. Many of these jobs are in the top earning quartile. Yet today, Latinos are largely underrepresented in higher-level STEM positions due to attrition through the STEM training pipeline. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Latinos earned 7.7% of bachelors, 4.7% of masters and 2.9% of doctoral degrees in science and engineering in the United States in 2006. In 2008, Latinos represented only 4% of the science and engineering workforce, proportions way below that of Latinos in the general population.

It is interesting to note, however, that Latino students start out college interested in majoring in STEM fields at rates similar to students from other ethnic groups. For example, this year the National Academies of Science reported that a third of the population of university students in STEM majors were Latino, indicating that there is a progressive loss of representation as students move up the scientific training pipeline. READ MORE