Bridging Worlds: Developing Interdisciplinary STEM Competencies in HR Professionals for Sustainable Education

This study examines the development of interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competencies among human resources (HR) professionals within sustainable education frameworks. Using a mixed-methods research design including survey data (n=245), semi-structured interviews (n=37), and organizational case studies (n=6), the researchers investigated the effectiveness of various experiential learning and mentorship approaches in developing what is termed "STEM fluency." Results indicate that bidirectional mentorship (β=0.42, p<0.001) and structured action learning projects (β=0.38, p<0.001) were the strongest predictors of STEM competency development, with significant variations across organizational size and industry contexts. Qualitative findings revealed four key barriers to interdisciplinary development: resource constraints, disciplinary identity concerns, measurement challenges, and access inequities. The study contributes an empirically-validated framework for developing HR-STEM competencies across diverse organizational contexts and identifies specific implementation strategies that promote sustainable professional development. Implications for HR practice and future research directions are discussed, including ethical considerations in applying technical competencies to human capital management.