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Overview of ONR Code 32 Education and Outreach Programs. Dr. Joan Cleveland 3 Sep 2009. ONR Mission. “To Foster, plan, facilitate and transition scientific research in recognition of its paramount importance to enable future naval power and the preservation of national security.”
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Overview of ONR Code 32 Education and Outreach Programs Dr. Joan Cleveland 3 Sep 2009
ONR Mission • “To Foster, plan, facilitate and transition scientific research in recognition of its paramount importance to enable future naval power and the preservation of national security.” • Hence ... Code 32 education / outreach programs are ad-hoc & aimed at supporting the future workforce of researchers interested in Navy-relevant issues via training, research experience & travel to present research results. • Decisions made by individual Program Officers.
National Ocean Sciences Bowl National competition for high school students. Teams compete to answer questions on ocean biology, chemistry, physics, geology and policy. 25 regional contests each year; winning teams travel to compete in national finals. Annual participation = 300 schools and over 2000 high school students. Students, coaches, family members increase knowledge of science in general & ocean science in particular. 89% in STEM college degree program; 60% took an ocean-related class; 38% “NOSB increased my interest in ocean science career”; adds to pipeline of researchers interested in Navy-relevant science. 4 regions receive diversity funds; results in increased participation by minorities. Begun in 1997; run by Consortium for Ocean Leadership. ONR Code 32 partners with NOAA, NSF, NASA, EPA, Smithsonian, MMS, USGS, Oceanographer of the Navy. http://www.oceanleadership.org/link/nosb
Understanding and Predicting Changes in the Ocean Science, Technology, and Operations Workforce Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center • Selected Results from Surveys, Interviews, and Workshops with • Senior Managers of Federal OSTO Workforce • Recruitment and Retention Problems • • Hard to attract good applicants and diverse applicants • • Negative perceptions of federal work by some potential applicants • • Can hire only US citizens • • Hiring process is slow, inefficient, often fails to hire best applicants • • Hard to expose students to true nature of federal work • • University faculty tend to steer students away from federal careers • • Funding uncertainties • • Weak training and career management programs • • Hard to compete with industry on salary and excitement for some • occupations • • High costs of living or undesirable locations • • High number of retirements (demographics, retirement plans)
Workforce study (continued) • Selected Results from Surveys, Interviews, and Workshops with • Senior Managers of Federal OSTO Workforce • Examples of Difficult to Fill Positions • • Geologists, geophysicists, petroleum engineers • • Geodesists, hydrographers • • Underwater acousticians • • Scientists who can translate science into applications • • Computer scientists & programmers • • Marine engineers (engineers on ships) • Recommendations • • Expand programs to attract a diverse workforce • • Market the benefits of federal work • • Service to communities/nation • • Job stability • • Work-life balance • • Benefits plans • • Retain services of senior employees as trainers, mentors, recruiters • • Improve workforce management programs, succession planning • • Improve hiring process
Workforce study (continued): Recommendations for the Educational System 1. The OSTO workforce is in need of engineers, computer scientists, and technicians who have a solid understanding of ocean applications. Increase efforts to pair technical programs with oceanography programs. 2. Make students aware of the benefits of a multidisciplinary education (e.g., an education that combines science with relevant technology applications). 3. To reach middle and high school students, implement activities that allow students to envision themselves in specific careers, understand concrete pathways to these careers, and the opportunities available to support these pathways (e.g., educational institutions, internships, fellowships, professional societies). 4. Educate educators on high demand OSTO careers at middle school level and up. 5. Integrate more math and quantitative rigor into ocean science curricula at all levels. 6. Emphasize excitement, service to community, and other benefits of OSTO work to potential OSTO employees. 7. Technical and engineering education programs at community colleges should be more closely paired to facilitate the transfer of students between these programs, and to help in retaining students in science, technology, and engineering oriented programs.
Workforce study (continued): Recommendations for the Educational System 8. Increase awareness by graduate school students and faculty of non-academic OSTO careers. 9. Government agencies and professional societies should develop a coordinated set of OSTO scholarships, fellowships, and internships. 10. Most ocean technical education programs need to infuse more information technology. 11. The contributions (both actual and potential) of the military in providing well-educated and trained workers for the civilian OSTO workforce should be identified and enhanced. 12. User friendly workforce information should be readily available for use by students, educators, employees, and employers in their planning (e.g., in planning careers, educational programs, workforce management, professional development). 13. Increase / improve workforce analysis and planning conducted by employers, professional societies, OSTO related agencies, and the DOL.
