Better educating our youth in STEM may be the key to staffing the 600,000 unfilled manufacturing positions in the United States. Microsoft urged Congress to increase the focus on STEM subjects not only to improve education, but also to better prepare the skilled workforce and make American firms more competitive. Microsoft believes that over the next decade, Congress should invest $5 billion into STEM education. Right now there is a shortage of workers in the field and that's because people are not adequately educated in the areas of math and science and technology.

The $5 billion investment in STEM education will cost approximately $500 million a year. Microsoft presented a plan that could raise the annual $500 million that is needed and it could be allotted to states where the areas of math, science and technology can stand to be greatly improved.

Read more to learn about Microsoft's proposed plan to raise the $500-million-per-year needed to fund this STEM proposal.