(BLACK PR WIRE) — Alexandria, Va. (February 6, 2013) — The U.S. Army is sponsoring the 27th Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Global Competitiveness Conference, Feb. 7-9 in Washington D.C., as part of the Army’s ongoing commitment to develop highly-trained men and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The BEYA conference attracts top-performing African-American high school and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students and professionals in STEM. At the conference, the Army will showcase its education benefits and opportunities, as well as the multiple career paths in engineering available for officers, soldiers and civilians.

The U.S. Army, and organizations like BEYA, have made it their goal to increase access to higher education, leadership development and career opportunities in the STEM fields. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, African-Americans account for only six percent of the 7.6 million U.S. STEM workforce. More than two-thirds of STEM workers have at least one college degree, making higher education a key success factor in an occupational field that is projected to grow by 17 percent through 2018.

The U.S. Army is the most technologically advanced military force in the world, providing men and women with the training and real world experience to succeed. Army officers can select from 42 career fields with 271 specialties, which include information technology, engineering and medicine. To highlight this, the Army has launched a new advertising campaign, “A Mentality,” that aims to educate the community about what it means to be an Army officer and the opportunities offered. The campaign highlights the personal story of Maj. Myles B. Caggins III, a second-generation career Army officer who commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Hampton University. To view Maj. Caggins’ story, as well as those of other Army officers, go to www.youtube.com/goarmy.

The Army will highlight various career and education opportunities at the BEYA conference by hosting a panel on defensive solutions in cybersecurity moderated by U.S. Army Cyber Command representatives; discussing STEM scholarship opportunities through ROTC during the BEYA K-12 Technology Carnival; and will host an interactive booth at the STEM Career Fair.

The BEYA organization will also recognize Army ROTC Cadet Brandon Van Dyke of Bowie State University during the BEYA Student Leadership and Scholarship Awards Dinner. Cadet Van Dyke was selected for recognition for demonstrating outstanding leadership and academic success in a STEM-related field.