The Importance of STEM Skills in a Changing Job Market
As the job market continuously evolves, STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) have become the driving force behind this transformation. According to the World Economic Forum’s report on “The Future of Jobs 2025,” it is expected that 39% of the skills required for jobs will change by 2030.
Graciela Rojas Montemayor and Movimiento STEM
Graciela Rojas Montemayor, founder and president of Movimiento STEM, emphasizes that developing these skills is crucial for future jobs, especially considering the reach of artificial intelligence (AI).
The Rapid Growth of AI-Related Skills
According to the World Economic Forum, AI-related technological skills are projected to grow in importance faster than any other skill over the next five years. This urgency highlights the need for digital literacy to be implemented from an early age.
Promoting STEM Development through Education
The upcoming STEM Day celebration on November 8, 2025, in Mexico aims to raise awareness about the importance of STEM education. This campaign seeks to encourage the development of STEM projects in basic education, with a focus on integrating these initiatives into public schools.
- The goal is for primary and secondary students, with the help of their teachers, to create and design solutions to local challenges using innovation.
- Rojas Montemayor clarifies that advanced technology is not necessary to foster innovation; even simple materials can be used to design prototypes that improve existing solutions.
Developing STEM Skills with a Gender Perspective
AI is transforming all jobs, and studies predict significant changes in required skills within the next five years. Rojas recommends focusing on technologies, understanding how they function, and continuously upskilling ourselves.
Early development of STEM skills leads to better mastery and a positive impact on the future, especially as children enter the workforce.
In February 2025, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education, Mario Delgado Carrillo, announced that 75% of future jobs will require STEM skills. However, he acknowledged a gender gap in these sectors.
UNICEF reports that less than 30% of STEM graduates in Latin America and the Caribbean are women, emphasizing the need to provide them with tools to increase their participation and income.
Rojas Montemayor asserts that the STEM Day celebration will motivate both girls and boys to generate innovations that benefit their future work. With teacher assistance, projects with a gender perspective can be developed from an early age.
This approach ensures better living conditions for women, as Rojas explains: “We make up 50% of the planet; we cannot be left out. Just like car seatbelts, which initially didn’t consider pregnant women’s needs, the lack of a gender perspective in prototyping, research, and all related activities has led to such oversights.”
Essential Skills for the Future
Digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and resilience are some skills fostered through a STEM approach.
Rojas Montemayor stresses that these abilities are indispensable for the future job market. The STEM Day celebration offers an opportunity for both girls and boys to start generating innovations that will aid them in their future careers.
Participating in the STEM Day
To join the STEM Day, primary and secondary teachers must register for free on the initiative’s official website by October 5, 2025.
- From October 6 to 31, registered schools will receive a manual to implement the STEM approach in their classrooms.
- Teachers can then develop a project with students, reflecting on various reasons to celebrate STEM skills and engaging in related activities.
From November 3 to 7, 2025, projects will be evaluated. On November 12, the top projects will receive awards, encouraging children, adolescents, and young adults to engage in these topics and understand how technologies and STEM can address humanity’s challenges.
Rojas Montemayor concludes that developing these competencies will enable future talent to engage, connect subjects, and apply innovation to tackle humanity’s challenges, especially since, according to UNICEF, 90% of future jobs will require digital skills.
