Exploring opportunities for — and barriers to — Latino participation in the modern workforce
Science, technology, engineering and math (most commonly recognized as STEM) is a growing workforce. For the U.S. economy to continue to succeed, it’s integral that education and workforce development offer opportunities for Latinos to train and excel.
Embedded in UnidosUS’s mission of ensuring all students have equal access to a high-quality education is an effort to ensure they also have a pathway to careers in the modern workforce. To that end, this fall, the UnidosUS’s education program team has been updating science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curricula while looking for ways to increase networking opportunities between the UnidosUS Affiliate Network and STEM industry professionals.
“Latinos represent 17% of the overall population and 29% of K-12 students, making them a key to ensuring the United States maintains a competitive edge in today’s global economy,” says Karen Ceballos Pineda, program manager, postsecondary success at UnidosUS, citing 2022 data from Pew Research Center and National Center for Education Statistics. “But because of historic social and political barriers, they only account for 8%-9% of STEM industry workers.”
There are many factors that contribute to these disparities, and something as fundamental as access to advanced math and science coursework in high school can significantly influence a student’s future college, career and workforce trajectory. Data from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights shows that Latino students are not receiving equal opportunities to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) math or sciences. Although Latinos make up 27% of students enrolled in high school, they represent only 19% and 20% of students enrolled in AP math and sciences, respectively.
It’s critical that Latino students are set up for success in these subjects early on in their schooling. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Data from the most recent nation’s report card shows that Latino students are scoring, on average, 41 points below the proficiency level, declining by three points from 2022 to 2024. Latino students are now, on average, 10 points behind where they were before the pandemic.
Expanding Hispanic representation in biotech
UnidosUS is responding to the potential opportunities offered through STEM by bolstering its emphasis on biotech, especially for young Latinas who are largely underrepresented in the medical field.
For example, this year, in observation of International Women’s Day, participants from two UnidosUS education programs — Escalera Steps to Success and Avanzando to Success — attended a bio skills career development training event hosted by AltaMed, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive health services to Southern California’s medically underserved communities. In all, 37 high school students participated in a one-day workshop through AltaMed’s Pathway Program, a vocational planning initiative for students enrolled in those UnidosUS programs as well as AltaMed’s internship programs. The workshop included hands-on activities such as suturing and ultrasound, as well as femur and tibia prep for total knee replacement.
“I gained confidence knowing that although my current pathway may not align with the ‘traditional’ pathway into the health care field, I can still undoubtedly pursue a career in health care,” Southeast High School senior Andrea S. told AltaMed after the event. “I also gained comfort in my own future seeing panelists talk about how they achieved success in college when they were in the shoes I’m currently in.”
That kind of enthusiasm from Latina participants is fueling UnidosUS’s latest STEM access initiative Pioneras en STEM, a high school program launched in 2024 to empower Latinas to pursue STEM studies and careers.
“Partnering with AltaMed on this initiative is one of many ways the UnidosUS’s Pioneras en STEM program strives to close that gap with innovation and flexibility,” Ceballos Pineda shares.
UnidosUS also strives to recognize the reasons behind — and possible solutions to — these persistent gaps in education access and opportunity through research on academic studies and the systemic barriers that result in the inequitable distribution of resources on local, state and national levels. Research published in the Journal of Education and Learning indicates that institutional supports — such as social identity-based centers and high-impact educational experiences — cultivate a sense of belonging, which can lead to improved outcomes for first-generation college students.
“Culturally affirming programming and institutional supports can facilitate positive expectations for students and increased engagement in the academic process — leading to improved student outcomes,” explains Elizabeth Zamudio, vice president, education at UnidosUS.
UnidosUS strongly encourages Affiliates implementing its education programs to include engagements like AltaMed’s Bio Skills Day into UnidosUS postsecondary and career-readiness programs like Escalera, Avanzando Through College, Avanzando to Success and Pioneras en STEM. Additionally, the updated Pioneras en STEM curriculum will not only expose Latinas to STEM studies and professions, but also expand on confidence-boosting strategies to help Latinas reach their educational and career goals. One of the key strategies to achieving this is to build a network of hands-on programming through Latina trailblazers in STEM who can speak to their collective representational history and the struggles to get there, showcase how they use STEM in their careers and help facilitate hands-on STEM-skills training sessions.
“We want to show how STEM applies to their everyday lives and that there are many pathways to using it,” says Ceballos Pineda.
— Author Julienne Gage is a former UnidosUS senior web content manager and a former public information officer for Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces. She is currently working on a PhD in sociocultural anthropology at Florida International University.
