Dr Katriona O’Sullivan, Member of the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute and Dept. of Psychology Digital Skills Lecturer, has been invited by Minister Simon Harris TD, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) & Women In Technology and Science (WITS) event: HER STEM Skills: An Expert Think – In for Action. Spotlighting initiatives to support more women into STEM careers and identify news ways of progressing career and skills development, this event will develop new collaborations and partnerships, advance existing initiatives, and examine future opportunities.
Presenters: Katriona O’Sullivan, Maynooth University. Thierry Lescrauwaet, UQ.
Facilitated by: Gemma Irvine, Maynooth University
The Challenge
The STEM gender gap is well documented, STEM courses and careers are male dominated with engineering and computer science courses having the lowest % of female’s applicants year on year. When we consider income and class the STEM gender divide widens-with working class females significantly less likely to participate in higher level STEM courses in school, and less likely to apply to STEM degree courses, they are rarely seen in STEM professions later in life. This is a worldwide phenomenon, in Ireland we see those girls in DEIS (disadvantaged, or, delivering equality of opportunity) schools are particularly under-represented in STEM and are even less likely to pursue STEM courses at third level than any other group.
Aim of STEM Passport for Inclusion
To meaningfully support 1000 working-class girls, from Leinster and Munster to progress into STEM courses and careers. The STEM Passport for Inclusion will work at key levels of the system - individual, educational and structural - to ensure that the STEM systems in place are meeting the needs of working-class women, and that there is communication across key stakeholders to harness the talent that these women will bring to the STEM workforce.
The STEM Passport Activities
Through our partnership with Munster Technological University, the RDI Hub, Prodigy learning, Microsoft Ireland, and Accenture the STEM Passport will raise the STEM aspirations and abilities of 1000 young working-class women by supporting them to participate in three structured human, social and cultural capital forming activities, alongside the digital platform to house these activities.
Follow the link more information on the STEM Passport for Inclusion: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/all-institute/all-projects/stem-passport-inclusion
