This week in Careers, we asked whether enough is being done to dispel the idea that women should only go into so-called ‘feminine’ careers.
Promotion of STEM diversity must start, many agree, at a young age. Early intervention can prevent people from being conditioned by the limited representation that society provides.
This will prove especially vital when attempting to promote gender diversity within STEM. The industry is crying out for more talent yet still struggles with a male majority. Attracting more women is a win-win; it plugs skills shortages and corrects a shameful disparity.
Yet are we succeeding? Jaguar Land Rover’s Eimear Fitzgerald doesn’t think so. In an interview with our Careers editor Jenny Darmody this week, she explained that she thinks there’s still a lot to be done to improve gender equality.
“There is a lot being done at industry level and in third-level education to encourage women to get more involved in STEM sectors, but not as much at primary and secondary school level. I think there needs to be a push to show girls from a young age that women can and are excelling in careers around technology and STEM.”
This week in Careers, we also got to hear from lots of women who are currently thriving in STEM careers. MSD’s Ann-Marie Bolger revealed to us the exciting plans in store for the new MSD facility due to be built in Carlow and took us through a typical day in her role.
We also got to hear about a day in the life of Vaibhav Bishnoi, a business analyst at the Aon Centre for Innovation and Analytics.
In jobs news, there were two exciting announcements made this week for jobseekers, especially those looking to break into the manufacturing industry.
Food manufacturer Finnebrogue Artisan confirmed plans to invest £17m in a state-of-the-art nitrite-free bacon facility, creating 125 jobs in Downpatrick.
Also in Northern Ireland – this time in Derry – Terex, a global manufacturer of lifting and material processing solutions, announced that it will establish a new facility in the county, creating 100 roles.
For more on any of these stories, check out the links above.
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