Open to students, parents and teachers, STEM South West will take place this year at the Cork City Hall on 20 November.

At least 20pc of Ireland’s 964,000 primary and secondary students will need to study STEM – or science, technology, engineering and mathematics – in order sustain the country’s leadership in tech, pharmaceuticals and engineering. This is according to estimations made by STEM South West.

STEM South West is a regional industry-run initiative, bringing together business leaders from across Ireland to stage a free exhibition aimed at school-goers, informing them about career opportunities in STEM.

Organised by the STEM South West cluster, comprising of members including Johnson & Johnson, Munster Technological Institute and University College Cork, the Cork County Council and the Southern Regional Skills forum, the initiative works with more than 150 regional stakeholders such as education providers, agencies and businesses to identity and address problems facing the STEM sector in South-West Ireland.

The sixth edition of the exhibition will take place this year at the Cork City Hall on 20 November between 4 to 8pm. Open to secondary students, parents and teachers, the exhibition will showcase how STEM careers and education address real-world problems impacting climate change, healthcare, robotics, AI and medtech.

speaking at the event launch Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Micheál Martin, TD, said; “This initiative continues to promote, empower and encourage young people to explore STEM opportunities across industry sectors that significantly contribute to our nation’s economic growth.

“The work that STEM South West is doing is necessary to ensure that our current STEM industry base is secure, that companies continue to locate in Ireland, that our start-ups and SMEs are given the opportunity to thrive, and that the students of today are given the skills to tackle the global challenges of tomorrow,” said Mary Good, Chair, STEM South West

A dedicated STEM app for students in Northern Ireland

Professional services firm EY launched its EY STEM App, in Northern Ireland, with a pilot launched in three girls’ schools. The free-to-use EY STEM App is aimed at girls aged between 13 and 18 years old and features a programme of modules and activities focused on the broad areas of STEM, including topics such as climate change, space exploration and technology, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and blockchain.

The app reached the island of Ireland after successful pilot programmes in India and the US, programmes that received widespread recognition.

According to EY, the app, with more than 100,000 registered users globally, is designed to be used as an out-of-classroom tool to reinforce and expand learning with modules developed by institutions including NASA and Stanford University. Moreover, the activities on the app were also developed in collaboration with the United Nations and World Economic Forum, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Louise Hanvey, the principal of the Ashfield Girls’ High School – one of the three schools taking part in the pilot – said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Ashfield Girls’ High School to be involved in the pilot scheme with EY.

“Recently, we have launched the EY STEM App to our Year 10 pupils and parents. With our Year 10 pupils selecting their GCSE subjects later this year, we hope this makes an impact and stimulates an interest in pursuing STEM based careers.”

“Encouraging more girls to pursue careers in STEM is essential in supporting sustainable economic growth. As a significant employer here in Northern Ireland, we are keenly aware of our role to support and develop the next generation of business leaders,” said Judith Savage, EY’s Northern Ireland Consulting Partner

“We have had great success globally with the STEM App and we are really excited to see the impact it can have locally.”

Steam Academy, the Junior Einsteins Science Club and the Trinity Walton Club among others offer children and young adults resources to develop their knowledge in STEM.

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