After a survey revealed that female students and teachers in secondary schools are unaware of the careers that can follow the study of STEM subjects, Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor has launched two initiatives for Stem education in Ireland.
Mitchell O’Connor today launched the fifth annual I Wish showcase – a programme that hopes to inspire female students to pursue careers in STEM – as well as A World of Opportunities, a new guide created by Dublin City University (DCU) for parents, teachers and students that highlights the range of STEM careers available.
11,000 students have attended I Wish events in Cork and Dublin to date, with more than 6,000 expected to visit the showcase this year.
The survey’s results, which were announced at the launch of this year’s showcase, revealed that 59 per cent of female students said they did not know enough about STEM subjects. The survey questioned more than 2,000 transition-year students.
In a press statement, Mitchell O’Connor said: “The need to increase gender diversity in STEM has been widely recognised and I Wish’s research once again highlights the challenge we face to help female students build confidence in this area at second level.”
O’Connor spoke of the “need to make more young people aware of the vast learning opportunities and potential careers that exist in STEM”.
DCU President Prof Brian MacCraith said in a press statement: “The task of selecting a career path in STEM areas can be somewhat daunting to those not familiar with new and evolving terminology.”
In a press statement, I Wish co-founder Caroline O’Driscoll said: “We must continuously showcase the opportunities through STEM and build girls confidence in their ability to improve people’s lives through STEM. We need to act now to make a difference.”
The Department of Education’s Stem Education Implementation Plan, launched in November 2017, aims to increase the number of women studying STEM subjects. Secondary schools are now urged to place an emphasis on Stem subjects in order to encourage female students into the STEM subjects at third level.
The initiative also hopes to improve the retention rate of females in STEM subjects, as more women have been shown to leave the field than men.
