539 South East students are among over 5,000 students nationwide to benefit from STEM Passport for Inclusion Initiative.
The All-Ireland STEM Passport for Inclusion programme is a joint initiative by Maynooth University, Microsoft Ireland, Research Ireland and the Department of Education that addresses inequalities with access to STEM careers among post-primary school students in socially disadvantaged communities.
Initially developed as a pilot in 2021, the programme was expanded nationwide in December 2023.
The programme's innovative approach, which combines a recognised qualification (Level 6 NFQ), education supports, and mentoring from industry role models, provides a unique pathway for female students to progress to third level education and achieve a STEM qualification.
Since its launch, over 5,370 female students from DEIS schools in all four provinces have been engaged, with 50% of participants from rural areas.
In the South East, students who have participated have benefitted from mentorship and educational support from 1,100 industry mentors who have delivered 2,524 mentoring hours.
In the region since 2021:
71 students from schools have participated in Carlow
113 students from schools have participated in Kilkenny
79 students from schools have participated in Waterford
42 students from schools have participated in Wexford
234 students from schools have participated in Tipperary
The outcome has been that students from 117 DEIS schools around Ireland have been empowered to graduate with a university accredited STEM qualification while still in post-primary school.
- The initiative, which was spearheaded by Maynooth University and Microsoft Ireland and is co-funded by Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland, has focused on offering underrepresented students, particularly girls, a supported pathway into STEM
- 79 students from schools in Waterford have participated in the initiative, opening doors for these students to pursue a career in STEM.
- Since 2021, the programme has expanded and has been rolled out to over 5,000 students across the four provinces of Ireland
- 79% now considering applying to study STEM at third level because of STEM Passport for Inclusion while 76% are now considering a career in STEM.
The National Skills Strategy identified a need to increase STEM participation to develop the talent and skills that are needed for the future of work. Despite female students accounting for more than half of third-level students, they only make up 35% of STEM students. Moreover, fewer than one in ten graduates in STEM fields are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. STEM Passport for Inclusion seeks to address this by ensuring that every student, regardless of background, leaves school STEM prepared.
Speaking about her involvement in the initiative and the success of the programme so far, Dr Katriona O’Sullivan, Digital Skills Lecturer at Maynooth University, said: “The publication of the report represents a milestone in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. Since its establishment, I have been lucky to see girls complete the programme with a renewed outlook on their potential and their thoughts about themselves have been transformed by the STEM Passport for Inclusion.
“When building out this initiative, we at Maynooth University set out to develop an evidence based, system solution, to address the underrepresentation of diverse women and girls in STEM. The success of the programme is evidenced by the roll out of the programme to over 5000 girls so far.
“We have been fortunate to receive support from our partners at Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland throughout this journey. Looking forward, we are excited to work alongside third level colleagues around Ireland as the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s reach expands. With the support of philanthropy and our partners, we are expanding the project from 2025-2027, furthering the program’s positive impact.”
More details on the programme can be found at: STEM Passport for Inclusion | Maynooth University.
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