Tidewater region conference promotes STEM initiative.

• Position: NDIA News - Conference news

Members of government, academia and industry gathered in Newport News, Virginia, to brainstorm and share ideas on how to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education.

The conference, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association. and the Aerospace Industries Association, met at the Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipyard to engage the community and discuss the challenges facing the STEM workforce.

The goal was to increase the number of eligible aerospace and defense employees and work in partnership with other communities to increase the math and science literacy of the next generation of workers. The conference also highlighted current STEM resources, programs and activities available in the Hampton Roads region.

Mike Petters, Huntington Ingalls president and CEO, addressed the importance of the early education pipeline and exciting young minds about STEM fields.

If students are not reading by the time they are in third grade, it is already too late to build their STEM potential, he said.

Matt Mulherin, Newport News Shipbuilding president, spoke about the necessity of connecting obviously intelligent STEM-bound students with entrepreneurial opportunities. He was part of the panel discussing industry demand's translation in academia.

"I think there's a lack of guidance counselors to help them decide--is college the right thing? Are they really...