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Technical Professions

Report

What Is the Value of Invention?

Inventions help people around the world live longer, healthier, and more-productive lives. The inventions of Lemelson-MIT Prize winners illustrate the scientific, technological, economic, and social effects that inventions can have on society.

Feb 11, 2021
Report

Compensation and Benefits for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workers: A Comparison of the Federal Government and the Private Sector

The authors compare salary, benefits, and employment for federal and private-sector workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They analyze data, present findings on STEM and non-STEM workers, and make recommendations.

Jan 19, 2021
Report

The Composition and Employment of Software Personnel in the U.S. Department of Defense: An Initial Analysis

The authors identify and characterize a subset of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) software workforce, the types of software developed within DoD, and the variety of methods DoD programs use when employing that workforce to develop software.

Dec 24, 2020
Report

Monetary and Nonmonetary Compensation for High-Value U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Skill Sets

Motivated by concern that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will struggle to recruit and retain civilian talent for the U.S. Space Force, the authors compared DoD and private-sector monetary and nonmonetary compensation for high-value skill sets.

Nov 16, 2020
Research Brief

How Can the United States Prepare a Workforce for Advanced Manufacturing Using Robotics?

As industrial robots become more advanced, there likely will be a shortage of technicians with the skills to work with, program, and repair them. This brief presents findings of RAND researchers' analysis of the state of training for these workers.

Jul 6, 2020
Report

An Analysis of Education and Training Programs in Advanced Manufacturing Using Robotics

As industrial robots become more advanced, there likely will be a shortage of human workers with the technical and nontechnical skills to work with, program, and repair these robots. RAND researchers assess the state of training for these workers.

Jul 6, 2020
Report

Education, Employment, and Wages in the Appalachia Region: Final Report (2020)

The authors of this report examine indicators of the health of education and labor markets in the Appalachia Partnership Initiative region, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and on the extraction industry.

Apr 9, 2020
Commentary

How to Actually Recruit Talent for the AI Challenge

In the global race to dominate AI technologies, talent is everything. The Pentagon should consider redesigning its personnel policies to accommodate a much greater degree of speed and permeability in its cyber and AI workforce, regardless of what pay and benefits it offers.

Feb 5, 2020
Commentary

How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers

Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.

Jun 6, 2019
Commentary

Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone

'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone is the story of Elizebeth Friedman, the mother of modern cryptoanalysis and cryptography. She broke coded messages of organized crime, broke the Nazi Enigma cryptography machine, and deciphered, mapped, and monitored Nazi activities in South America, though it is her husband William who often gets credit.

Feb 19, 2019
Commentary

Ending the 'Brogrammer' Culture: How to Close the Gender Gap

Despite recent progress, women are significantly outnumbered in technology, comprising only 30 percent of the workforce worldwide. It's up to society, governments, and technology companies to close the gap. Improving internet access, education, and career opportunities for women could help.

May 17, 2018
Report

Air Force Non-Rated Technical Training: Opportunities for Improving Pipeline Processes

This report identifies opportunities for optimizing processes and policies in the U.S. Air Force nonrated technical training pipeline and recommends process and policy changes that could improve efficiency at all levels.

Dec 18, 2017
Report

The Appalachia Partnership Initiative's Investments in Education, Workforce Development, and the Community: Technical Appendixes

These technical appendixes provide more details on the methodology, data, and findings in the report, The Appalachia Partnership Initiative's Investments in Education, Workforce Development, and the Community: Analysis of the First Stage, 2014-2016.

Nov 10, 2017
Report

Building a Sustainable STEM Workforce in Appalachia

The tristate region of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia needs more workers with STEM skills to fill jobs in the energy and advanced manufacturing sectors. The Appalachia Partnership Initiative has made investments aimed at addressing this issue. What kind of progress has the initiative made?

Oct 12, 2017
Commentary

Cybersecurity Badge: One Big Step for Girl Scouts, Potentially Giant Leap for Women

The Girl Scouts will start offering 18 cybersecurity badges next year. In addition to exposing girls to cyber concepts and challenges, this could encourage them to pursue cybersecurity or other STEM careers in which women are underrepresented.

Aug 3, 2017
Blog

How the Drinking Bird Foiled a Spruce Goose Engineer

The famous drinking bird toy gave RAND's Dick Murrow an idea that might help Egyptian farmers. But Murrow, who previously led Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose design team, couldn't secure funding to get the concept off the ground.

Jun 29, 2017
Tool

Regional Maps of the Appalachia Partnership Initiative Region

The interactive tool highlights the geographic reach of Appalachia Partnership Initiative programs that address STEM K-12 education and workforce development needs in the Greater Pittsburgh area's advanced manufacturing and energy sectors.

May 31, 2017
Commentary

Reservists and the National Guard Offer Untapped Resources for Cybersecurity

More than 100,000 personnel in the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve have some degree of cyber competence, including thousands with deep or mid-level expertise. They could help defend the cyber terrain on which America's national security, prosperity, and democracy depend.

Apr 18, 2017
Report

Wages, Employment, and STEM Education in Appalachia

An ongoing assessment of employment and wages in energy and advanced manufacturing industries in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia region captures trends about which counties might have greater demand for educating or employing local talent in STEM careers.

Mar 22, 2017
Commentary

On 'Hidden Figures' and Being the Only Woman in the Room

RAND's Susan Marquis discusses the three brilliant African-American women depicted in the film Hidden Figures, the critical role of women in RAND's history, and more.

Mar 12, 2017

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