The skills associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - or STEM - are critical skills to help society face up to the change of creating a resource efficient and lower carbon economy. Sectors like construction, automotive - and our own industries of steel and mining - all require top-quality scientists and engineers to develop less wasteful, lower carbon production methods, rethink the assumptions we make about how we use and re-use resources, and develop the technology for clean energy generation.

But we all share a problem. There is a growing shortage of scientific and engineering talent. And with the number of jobs requiring STEM skills likely to grow by about one million globally between 2015 and 2025, we need to take action now.

So, how does this impact our business?

Attracting and retaining young talent is important at ArcelorMittal. As a truly global company, having a diverse workplace is in our DNA, but the average age of our employees has been rising. In some countries it's as high as 50 and as these workers head into retirement, we are mindful that the top new talent is looking for an employer with a proven track record in developing skills and providing high-quality training.
But attracting and supporting tomorrow's scientists and engineers is bigger than our business alone. That's why our ambition is to build a healthy pipeline of well-trained and talented engineers, scientists and technicians, both for our own future, and for society as a whole.

The challenge ahead

Supporting new STEM talent, and replenishing our own pool of engineers and technicians, is not without its challenges. Ultimately, our success depends on our long-term commitment to the cause. It all boils down to our ability to inspire, support, and tailor our common aim to the different areas in which we operate.

And inspiration starts young. We need to begin our work in the classroom, helping children to get excited about a future in science, technology or engineering. When those children grow older, we need to support them in pursuing that passion as a career built on the skills that ours and so many other businesses depend upon.

Thankfully, we know we are already on track, with successful STEM projects running all over the world. Our recently-launched 2014 Sustainability Report sets out how we're going about tackling this issue, and records the progress we've made to date.

In the US, for example, we have set up partnerships with four non-profit groups, and are reaching almost 1,450 females to encourage them to study STEM subjects. In Argentina, meanwhile, we are supporting students at Acindar whose diverse range of specific metallurgy projects linked to our own company's needs - from finding defects in red hot billets to finding ways to precisely measure the dimensions of those billets. By allowing outstanding students to prepare and present real need projects they add value to the activities of our company whilst making themselves more employable with us or other companies.

So what does the future hold?

At ArcelorMittal, we are committed to doing more to actively motivate young people to build a career in tomorrow's steel and mining industries. STEM is the group community investment theme, which means we have a portfolio of projects in and around every country in which we have a significant operation. This means bespoke projects designed around that regions precise needs - but the goal is the same; namely to be working alongside the next wave of bright STEM graduates. After all, these innovative thinkers are helping us transform tomorrow with our steel.

by Alan Knight, general manager, corporate responsibility, ArcelorMittal

To learn more about how we are actively contributing to the communities in which we operate:

> Read about the how we play our part in ArcelorMittal's 2014 sustainability report
> Learn about our sustainability outcome on creating the pipeline of talented scientists and engineers for tomorrow
> Watch the Steelworker for the Future® video

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