Students ‘not aware’ of jobs in science and technology sector

More than half of Irish students and nearly half of teachers are unaware of science and technology career opportunities, a survey published today has suggested.

The research, by Populus for Nestlé Ireland, involved interviewing 103 decision- makers at Irish Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) businesses, 100 science and maths teachers at secondary schools and more than 300 students aged between 14 and 16.

Nearly three-quarters of the students said they would consider a Stem career but more than half (59 per cent ) said they knew little or nothing about the type of jobs on offer.

Nearly half of science and maths teachers said they did not know what Stem businesses were looking for in recruits and nearly half of the Stem-related businesses said they did not think there were enough young people studying Stem subjects to meet future demand.

Deirdre O’Donoghue, country manager for Nestlé Ireland, said: “It is a promising sign that so many young people in Ireland would consider pursuing a career in a Stem-related industry.

“However,” she added, “there is evidently a breakdown that needs to be addressed as, while young people are interested in Stem subjects at school, the uptake of careers in these areas is low, with many saying they don’t know enough about the careers that are available.”