Addressing the STEM shortage in Ireland

From better schools to a more inclusive workforce there is much work to be done, says Jennifer Deutsch

Life

Jennifer Deutsch, Park Place Technologies

In association with Park Place Technologies

Ireland has been at the forefront in the increase of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) uptake both within education and the workplace. Given its rooted tech dominance, it is unsurprising that prioritising a sustainable approach to STEM is an ongoing effort. Since the Celtic Tiger first roared in the mid-1990s successive Irish governments have assumed a progressive stance to address demand outstripping supply of tech workers. Due to favourable geographic and a low corporate tax rate, the number of multinational tech giants establishing or expanding an Irish presence ahead of its EU neighbours places extra pressure on the local talent pool. In response, one of the governments’ key considerations is to target females with long-term recruitment and retainment policies, with a view to making tech and engineering industries more attractive.

Quantifying the size of the talent gap is difficult as the problem gets bigger with every data centre planning approval awarded (and there are currently 70 new data centres planned). Solas, the state agency responsible for filling education gaps to match the needs of industry, identified that 46% of science, engineering and tech companies were struggling to fill key roles such as application developers, IT engineers and data centre leads. Globally, in 2021 Gartner noted a similar shortage with 64% of CIOs reporting that talent deficits were a ‘critical concern’ – up from 31% the previous year.

How will this gap effecting half of all regional IT vacancies be plugged? This year the government introduced the STEM education policy to 2026 with the aim of “nurturing children’s sense of curiosity and perseverance, these experiences lay the foundation for future learning”. By putting significant emphasis on nurturing engagement, retaining the joy of STEM learning throughout the educational journey, moves towards this goal can be made even before primary level.

At third level, higher and further education colleges have been encouraged to incorporate and add more attractive and courses. These include digital technology specialisations including IoT, cyber security, data analytics, machine learning, and AI. Without such skills, Ireland faces a challenge in the race to enable manual roles to become automated and highly digitised.

Representation

Have these broad policy efforts impacted female representation in the STEM professions? According to Berkley overall demand for STEM skill is expected to grow by 8% to 2025 – (compared to the average 5% for other occupations). The gender divide, howver is stark. According to a study by UCD 40% of boys listed a STEM course versus just 19% of girls.

How is this happening? It’s widely acknowledged that peer pressure and stereotyping are partly to blame, as is the so-called ‘leaky pipeline’ that sees potential rolemodels leave the workforce at crucial points in their careers, leading to a lack of role models.

Positive early attitude enforcements to STEM uptake also need to apply to areas outside of academia, such as consideration of the gender of tech role models in media, film, television, dolls and toys. Viewing females that are thriving in previously male dominated roles helps young girls aspire that they too can achieve success. All influential adults can help to mentor girls to break stereotypes and amplify their achievements along the way. Career guidance needs to be modernised and reflective of today’s job market – with careers advisors offering advice and a far greater understanding about the diverse range of job roles and potential career paths available. This extends to recruitment practices such as changing the wording of job specifications for hiring. In the past, positions have been advertised that appear heavy on the coding and technical requirements and far less descriptive on the potential positive impacts of what the role will bring to the organisation.

In the workplace, 25% of jobs that require STEM skills are undertaken by women – but notably with an even greater under-representation of female senior executives at management levels. This all matters, not least because those who make innovation shape innovation – and the jobs of the future.

It’s an international problem. One recent study showed that by boosting females into STEM positions globally, world economies would benefit by an additional $12 trillion by 2025.

And what of Ireland’s efforts on keeping women engaged and invested in their fields throughout their career? This involves ongoing assessment of remuneration and working conditions. Thankfully, pay gaps and glass ceilings are now regularly examined to ensure pay parity, and hybrid working conditions allowing better work/life balance are becoming mainstream.

Jennifer Deutsch is chief marketing officer with Park Place Technologies