Investigating Student Participation in Quantum Workforce Initiatives

TL;DR

This study explores how different program designs in quantum education impact student participation, highlighting the importance of equitable and context-sensitive approaches for developing a diverse quantum workforce.

Contribution

It provides insights into how program design influences student engagement and addresses diversity in quantum workforce development outside traditional research university settings.

Findings

Differences in participation goals and career interests between student groups.

Both groups reported benefits from program participation.

Program design needs to consider students' backgrounds and needs.

Abstract

As the focus of quantum science shifts from basic research to development and implementation of applied quantum technology, calls for a robust, diverse quantum workforce have increased. However, little research has been done on the design and impact on participants of workforce preparation efforts outside of R1 contexts. In order to begin to answer the question of how program design can or should attend to the needs and interests of diverse groups of students, we performed interviews with students from two Colorado-based quantum education/workforce development programs, one in an undergraduate R1 setting and one in a distributed community setting and serving students largely from two-year colleges. Through analysis of these interviews, we were able to highlight differences between the student populations in the two programs in terms of participation goals, prior and general awareness of quantum science, and career interest and framing of career trajectories. While both groups of students reported benefits from program participation, we highlight the ways in which students' different needs and contexts have informed divergent development of the two programs, framing contextual design of quantum education and workforce efforts as an issue of equity and representation for the burgeoning quantum workforce.