Journal of Education & Social Policy

STEM Career Readiness at HBCUs to Enhance Occupational Diversity
Erin N. White, PhD, Evandrew Washington, MS, Lawrence O. Flowers, PhD

Abstract
STEM workforce diversity problems still exist despite incremental improvements. To improve STEM career readiness outcomes and sufficiently prepare minority students for employment, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) must increase the number of on-campus faculty-mentored undergraduate research experiences and student participation in off-campus internships. STEM career readiness refers to preparing students to get a job in today’s labor market by ensuring comprehension and application of essential content knowledge and professional skills. There is a lack of research-based evidence that explores the impact of HBCU student off-campus company-based internship participation on career development parameters and career outcomes.

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