Why are girls not choosing IT courses at third-level?

With fears that we won’t be able to fill tech vacancies unless more women start studying engineering and IT, Áilín Quinlan went to a girls’ school to ask young girls why they aren’t putting these courses on their CAO forms?

I AM sitting down with over 50 students from a girls’ second level school that actively promotes the science subjects; so great is the emphasis that this school places on science and maths that their guidance counsellor is a former maths and science teacher. Science is also mandatory for first-year and Transition Year students.

I’ve been chatting to first year and TY students about science, technology and maths (STEM): what do they think of it? Are they considering it as a future career as it has great opportunities and earning potential?