Despite significant progress in recent years aimed at educating young people about the opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), there is still a lack of understanding among Irish people generally of what STEM subjects are and what a career in STEM could look like.
Research from Accenture in Ireland found that just 29% people feel that students have access to enough information about their future careers, with this number dropping 20% when it comes to women. Further to this, 59% say that they understand the meaning of the term ‘STEM subjects,’ with those aged 18 to 24 years old more likely to understand it (71%).
When asked about ways to increase STEM understanding and in particular, participation among students, popular answers included making subjects more enjoyable (43%), providing more information on the benefits of studying STEM (41%), starting STEM education at primary school level (40%), and training teachers further about STEM careers (38%).
The research also found that 30% of adults did not have a role model that helped them when growing up, with significant differences between men and women. Significantly more men claimed that their role model gave them a different perspective, enabled them to self-improve or that they allowed for career growth compared to women. More women than men (35% versus 26%) claimed that they did not have a role model that helped them when growing up.
The survey also found that 46% of adults believe STEM subjects will improve students problem-solving skills, with 37% believing that they will enable students to be more innovative/or more creative thinkers or that they will open well-paying career opportunities for students.
Just 29% of people feel that students are given enough information about potential future careers. This number drops to just 20% when it comes to women, which is significantly lower than young men at 39%. Previous STEM research conducted by Accenture in 2019 had showed similar findings, with 61% of teachers and 66% of parents not believing that their students or children are given enough information about future career opportunities.
In response to these findings and to mark the United Nation’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Accenture has launched the ‘Women on Walls STEM Hub,’ created in collaboration with Scoilnet, to highlight STEM resources to primary and post-primary teachers and schools.
The hub was inspired by Accenture’s Women on Walls at DCU, the third chapter of Accenture’s campaign aimed at increasing the visibility of female leaders to inspire future generations. Accessible through Scoilnet, the Hub comprises a variety of resources to promote STEM in the classroom, including experiments, project work, and profiles of the female STEM leaders featured in the Women on Walls campaign.
“Our research has shown that there is still disparity between our young women and young men when it comes to their future careers and most telling is the fact that 35% of women never had a role model that helped them growing up,” said Paula Neary, managing director and STEM sponsor at Accenture in Ireland. “We want to change this with the launch of the Accenture Women on Walls STEM Hub. As we know, ‘you cannot be what you cannot see,’ so our hope is that this new Hub will contribute greatly to educating young people, particularly women, on the possibilities of a career in STEM, by showing examples of the high-profile women in STEM who have come before them. We hope that by showcasing the incredible achievements of these role models, it opens the door to more of our young people studying STEM subjects.”
The initiative comes on the back of the highly successful Accenture Women on Walls campaign that seeks to make women leaders visible through a series of commissioned portraits that will create a lasting cultural legacy for Ireland.
Patrick Coffey, national coordinator, Scoilnet, said: “Scoilnet has put together a collection of information and teaching resources around the women and their work – and the hope is that it will encourage girls to stay engaged with STEM subjects and to maybe even consider a career in the area.”
Accenture’s Women on Walls STEM Hub, created in collaboration with Scoilnet, can be accessed at www.scoilnet.ie/wow
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