The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, is to establish a committee to advise him on what action is needed to increase the number of women taking science and technology courses at third level.
He announced the move at an event to launch a CD-rom to be used by career guidance councillors in schools to encourage girls to think at an early stage about careers in science, engineering and broader technology fields.
|
The CD-rom is produced by Women in Technology and Science (WITS), a body set up in 1990 to promote women in science in Ireland. It features interviews with 40 women in careers in industry, aerospace, business, research, the health services and journalism.
Mr Dempsey said the new career guidance tool was very timely from two perspectives. First, because of the increasing importance of science and technology in our society, not just in terms of their importance in creating economic growth, but also in terms of their increased importance in our daily lives.
It was also important from the point of view of increasing the number of females taking science subjects in schools. The use of role models was a well-proven and highly effective means of creating an impact on young people, he said.
"These women, in describing the jobs they do, are bringing them to life and bringing a human dimension to many careers that many young people, particularly girls, may perceive as dirty or boring or out of their reach," he said.
Mr Dempsey said research had shown that available careers in some science and engineering professions will increase by as much as 80 per cent by 2015 and it was important to inform students and their parents of this when encouraging them to take science subjects.
Prof Jane Grimson, the vice-provost of Trinity College Dublin and a former president of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland has been appointed head of the new committee. Prof Grimson was the first female graduate in Engineering from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1970.