Kildare’s tech future shines bright
Students from St Paul's Secondary School Monasterevin at the STEM Passport for Inclusion graduation ceremony
KILDARE’S tech future looks very bright after the county’s next generation of boffins stood with over 900 of their peers at the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme at a ceremony held at Maynooth University (MU) last week (28-30 January).
Transition Year students from St Pauls Secondary School, Monasterevin; Curragh Community College; Piper’s Hill College; St Conleth’s Community College; and Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin, were among the students from across Leinster who graduated from the programme.
The Kildare students completed the programme alongside peers from across the country, earning a Level 6 National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) university qualification. Participants also benefited from academic supports, mentorship from industry professionals and exposure to real-world work experience opportunities within the STEM sector.
The STEM Passport for Inclusion programme aims to break barriers and empower students from under-served backgrounds to pursue career pathways in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Research shows that after completing the programme, students show an eagerness to continue in STEM, with more than three-quarters (79%) considering applying to study STEM at third level, while almost the same amount (76%) are considering a career in the sector. Since its launch, more than 5,000 students have completed the programme, and it is aiming to support a further 5,000 to include TY boys, Youthreach, and women returning to education.
Led by Prof. Katriona O’Sullivan at MU in partnership with Microsoft, the STEM programme is funded by Research Ireland, the Department of Education and Youth and Microsoft.
