Female students urged to consider STEM careers

Caroline O'Driscoll and Gillian Keating of IWish, who ar urging young women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM).

Young women examining their options for third level education have been urged to consider careers in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM).

Gillian Keating and Caroline O’Driscoll, co-founders of I Wish, which is dedicated to showcasing the power of STEM to female students in Ireland and across the globe, highlighted STEM as a gateway to careers full of opportunities.

“It is a pivotal time for students as they consider career choices,” said Ms O’Driscoll.

“There are a lot of questions to ask — Is this the right course for me? Is this something that interests me? Is there a career in this for me? We want to put one option on the table for girls to consider: think about STEM as a gateway to an exciting career full of possibilities.

“However, too often we see girls opting out of pursuing STEM courses in university. The results of such are catastrophic. Fifteen of the 20 fastest growing careers in the world require a background in maths or science. Yet, only 25% of STEM jobs in Ireland are currently held by females. With such disparities, it is concerning that the next generation of girls will have limited participation in future economies and in the digitalisation era.”

Ms O’Driscoll also highlighted the worrying trend that sees girls dropping out of STEM subjects at a much earlier age.

A study by I Wish this year revealed that three quarters of teenage girls feel a lack of STEM subject choice is a barrier to a career in STEM.

“A further obstacle outlined in our I Wish report revealed over three quarters of girls found they lacked the confidence to tackle STEM subjects,” added Gillian Keating. “By showing only obstacles rather than pathways, there is an inevitable risk of excluding girls from the important choices they now need to make.

“Positive pathways, which the girls themselves have cited, include training awareness about STEM from a young age, enhancing confidence through mentorships, and providing access to STEM subjects.

“These steps are the reason why we have now expanded our offerings to engage girls year-round at key touch points in their lives,” she added. “This includes our annual global STEM event, which is to be held virtually on 10 February 2022.”

“Many of those filling out CAO forms will have attended I Wish during their own Transition Year and we hope this has inspired them to add STEM courses to their CAO list.”