The U.S. Army today reaffirmed its commitment to helping more young Hispanics pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by announcing its sponsorship and attendance at the 2011 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ (SHPE) annual convention. The convention will be held from Oct. 26-30 in Anaheim, Calif.

The Army’s partnership with SHPE is rooted in the organization’s mutual commitment to increasing STEM literacy among students and to developing a highly skilled workforce. Ensuring a pipeline of STEM professionals from diverse backgrounds is seen as critical to the nation’s economic growth, its continued leadership in high-tech industries and its national security.

A recent government report finds that while occupations in STEM are projected to grow by 17 percent through 2018, Hispanics remain underrepresented in these professions. The report, released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, indicates that only six percent of Hispanics in the U.S. hold STEM jobs.

The Army’s support of SHPE will allow Hispanic students to learn about the significant educational resources and STEM career paths – as civilians and soldiers – available through the Army. For example, the Army provides more than $290 million in academic scholarships through its ROTC program which is offered at 271 colleges and universities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.