CAO applicants are being encouraged to consider the job prospects offered by science and technology courses as the ‘change of mind’ window opens today.
The Central Applications Office (CAO) ‘change of mind’ forms are now open for submission, and Discover Science & Engineering is encouraging applicants to consider science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses for third-level study.
The most popular courses on last year’s CAO applications were arts and social science, with business and administrative courses coming in at a distant second. However, the tide may be turning towards STEM courses as the CAO has already announced an 18pc increase in the number of applications for STEM courses this year.
No doubt school-leavers applying for these courses have been spurred on by the job prospects in these industries where others show less promise. This is best illustrated by the recent announcements from Cisco and Amgen.
“The science and technology-related sectors in Ireland are thriving with continuing growth in employment and offer good long-term employment prospects. The direction of Government policy and the continuing flow of inward investment have to be seen as positive indicators for the future,” says Dr Graham Love, director of Discover Science & Engineering.
