Ireland is picking up STEAM

The IDA ran a wonderful advertising campaign in the 1980s called “The Young Europeans”. It featured a photograph of UCD engineering graduates, and ran with the tagline, “The Irish: hire them before they hire you”. Amazingly, the same campaign could still run today. Ireland still has the youngest population in Europe, with a third aged under 25 and almost half under 34.

It’s a mix of youth and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills that continues to bring US foreign direct investment to Ireland.

This includes world-class companies such as Alexion Pharmaceuticals whose operations in Athlone and Blanchardstown employ more than 250 people, a figure expected to double by the end of 2019.

“Ireland offers much support to biologics companies, including an excellent education system and highly skilled graduates,” says Julie O’Neill, executive vice president, global operations, Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

That women are still vastly under-represented in science and technology-based careers is cause for concern, however. “Worthy efforts are already being undertaken both by industry and government to raise awareness of STEM careers and to promote women in STEM as role models. In Ireland, there are also a number of women in senior roles, and it is incumbent upon us to inspire, encourage and motivate young women to consider careers in STEM,” says O’Neill.

Biopharma has been identified as a target area for growth by the Irish Government in the Action Plan for Jobs. “This is crucial as there has to be a plan for the development of the sector and the support it needs. What’s critical to us and the biopharma sector is that the Government puts in place job-creation initiatives and creates the investment climate that supports and encourages indigenous Irish companies to be formed and to grow, as well as policies that supports companies like Alexion to come into the regions. Working for a company like Alexion helps to build an enterprise culture and mentality because we are globally focused – and this has wider benefits to the regions in Ireland in which we work,” O’Neill says.

The huge value placed on the importance of innovation and R&D in Ireland is important to Alexion too. “The Government’s focus on promoting the Knowledge Economy means that jobs in R&D and drug innovation, which are at the top of the pharmaceutical food chain in Ireland, are given huge importance and are continuously coming on-stream. Ireland needs to be at the forefront of innovation and continue to attract this high level of investment,” she says.

The skills agenda is developing well, but could be better, says Prof Mark Ferguson, director general of Science Foundation Ireland. "We need to encourage more people to take up science at school and at university, particularly ICT skills. We need to educate people – including parents – about the scale of opportunities that exists for great careers right across the sectors and in lots of industries. The world is changing and the pace of change is fast. What we need to do is enable people to work in industries we don't even know of yet."

Science Foundation Ireland’s Smart Future initiative helps encourage women into STEM subjects by the use of role models.

"From a gender basis alone, not enough is being done to encourage women into STEM sectors. Much of this is down to false stereotyping, such as that it's all about muddy boots and lifting girders, when in fact it's not, it is just as much about coding and engineering and a career in science can lead to a variety of great jobs, including working in companies like Facebook and Google, " he says.

Role models

SFI has researched what it is that motivates people to choose a career, and one is whether or not a person thinks they will fit in, which is why role models are so important. “The other motivator is whether or not they think they will enjoy it. Here, we have old stereotypes about science geeks maybe getting in the way, so breaking down those barriers is important too.”

Initiatives such as SciFest and the BT Young Scientist Awards play a role in encouraging kids to see STEM as interesting and fun.

But arts graduates are needed too, which is why STEM is more often now referred to as STEAM. The notion of having to choose one or the other is breaking down. “A lot more in every country could be done in terms of continuous learning,” says Prof Ferguson. “No job is for life anymore. A person might do 20 in a lifetime. The pace of change is huge and disruption, contrary to people’s fears, creates more jobs than it destroys. But it massively displaces people, so the policy upshot is to become much better at continuous education.”

The old view of coming out of school, studying one discipline and leaving it at that no longer works. Neither does funnelling people off into either arts or science factions. “It’s not a case of them and us, it’s about a blended approach. Arts graduates have skills that scientists don’t. But the real thing is to develop people to have enough confidence to feel they can do anything and who have the ability to adapt,” says Ferguson.

US businesses that choose Ireland certainly look for a broad range of skills, according to Anna Scally, head of technology, media and fintech at KPMG. "Not surprisingly, many are technology driven but other attributes play a part. For example, Ireland scores highly on flexibility, adaptability and problem-solving capabilities and these are in high demand given the nature of the inward investment we attract," says Scally, pointing out that 16 of the world's top 20 software companies have chosen to locate here.

“My experience working with a range of multinational and entrepreneurial investors is that when they choose Ireland they gain access to a highly educated, innovative, well-travelled and outward-looking workforce.”