A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO LAUNCHING YOUR FIRST MAKER PROGRAM

13
Introduction
WHY IS MAKER EDUCATION
SO IMPORTANT?
Maker education gives people the opportunity to build skills and
mindsets that will help them thrive in today’s highly technical and
creative workforce.
In a system that can feel overpowered by standards and testing, maker education is an
approach to learning that fosters creativity and practical skill-building across the spectrum of
K-12 content. This is important, because the modern economy is changing in some pretty big
ways. Here are a few trends that play a role in the growing importance of maker education for
young people around the world:
DIGITAL
MANUFACTURING
GROWTH OF
CREATIVE WORK
DEMAND FOR
FLEXIBILITY
“80 percent of
manufacturers report
a moderate or serious
shortage of qualified
applicants for skilled and
highly-skilled production
positions.”
Source: Deloitte and the
Manufacturing Institute
“In 1900, creative workers
made up only about
10% percent of the U.S.
workforce….Today, almost
40 million workers—
some 30 percent of the
workforce—are employed
in the creative sector.”
Source: Richard Florida
“There has been a rapid
increase in the use
of online platforms
by companies and
individuals who want to
engage remote workers
for piecemeal, shortterm
or project-based
work delivered over the
internet.”
Source: The Guardian
GO TO
STEP: