Abstract:

The journey to inspire and inform female students of the excellent and increasing numbers of STEM career opportunities available to them.
“Despite efforts to address the imbalance just 12% of those working in engineering in the UK today are female compared to 47% of the overall UK workforce.” (Engineering UK: The State of Engineering 2018)
The inaugural Engineers Week at St Mary’s College (an all-girls mixed ability secondary school in Derry, Northern Ireland) took place in 2012 in response to the launch of the Northern Ireland Executive STEM strategy 2011 which recognised that, “STEM enrolment was creating a potential shortfall in the supply of those with STEM qualifications at various levels required for the growth economy”.
At St Mary’s College we have many students talented in STEM subjects, but local employers were concerned that they have STEM jobs that local people are not qualified to apply for. The ongoing need for the event was to achieve our key aim of giving students at our all-girls school the opportunity to make informed subject option choices that would allow them to access these well-paid, readily available jobs both locally and further afield. This is a careers growth sector where women are currently underrepresented.
“As STEM skills are playing and increasingly important role in shaping the European economy, STEM education – and encouraging more girls and young women to pursue STEM interests – is vital.” (Microsoft: How role models are changing the face of STEM in Europe 2018)
Annually we have approximately 1,000 primary school students, 1,500 secondary school students, 35 visiting engineers, 20 employers and five third-level course providers join us our event at St Mary’s College. Engineers Week at St Mary’s College shows our school working together with the wider business community, Engineers Ireland and the Royal Academy of Engineering UK. The week-long event captured the imagination and promotes STEM careers in a fun and engaging way to primary and secondary students and their parents in order to help increase the attractiveness of the engineering sector.

The positive contribution of Engineers Week itself has also been recognised in two UK awards. St. Mary’s College Engineers Week were winners of ‘The STEM Innovation’ category of the 2019 UK Community Education Awards (8,500 entries) and, in 2017, we travelled to the House of Lords in London as one of four finalists for the Inspirational STEM Engagement category at the UK STEM Inspiration Awards (BAE Systems were the eventual winner). I personally was awarded Inspirational Educator of the Year Award in 2016 in recognition of my work in promoting STEM education experience and career pathways in our school and beyond.

This presentation will provide the background as to how the successful STEM programme at St. Mary’s College and Engineers Week continues to inspire increasing numbers of our students to follow these career pathways. 42% of upper sixth student in 2017 progress to STEM third level courses. 100% of past pupil students who graduate with Engineering and Technology qualifications are employed within six months.

Keywords:

STEM, Engineers, Female, Career, Pathway, Opportunities, Inspire, Inform.