IT’S A FACT

By: Zakiyah Ebrahim

1 The global demand for STEM-related jobs is growing rapidly. In fact, it's estimated that 3.5 million jobs will need to be filled by 2025.

2

Out of all the students studying STEM subjects worldwide, only 35% are girls, highlighting the gender gap in STEM fields.

6 The first university in South Africa to offer STEM courses was the University of Cape Town (UCT). UCT has produced many notable STEM graduates, including Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, and scientists.

7

Students in Malaysia and Tunisia are among the most likely to graduate in a STEM field. 3

Youth inventors and innovators submitted about 95 000 international patent applications from 2011 to 2020, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This shows that young people have made a big impact on global innovation.

4 The African Development Bank says that Africa will need to create 12 million jobs every year for youth entering the workforce. They want to place a significant focus on STEM jobs to help the economy grow and drive innovation on the continent.

8 Forecasts indicate that there will be 850 million youth by 2050, and by 2063, young people will make up half of the 2 billion working-age population.

9 Fred Swaniker, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, is on a mission to develop three million young African leaders by 2035.

5 Employment in STEM occupations has grown 79% since 1990.

10 More than 50% of children entering primary school today will work in job types that do not yet exist. That's why it's so important for youth to learn STEM skills to help them adapt to these new and exciting jobs.