Engineers are at the heart of everything that Intel does.
Intel Ireland and Engineers Ireland have launched a new partnership to foster STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills development in Ireland.
The strategic partnership between the chip giant – which is marking 30 years in Ireland this year – and the professional membership body for engineers in Ireland, with more than 25,000 members, will focus on encouraging and inspiring the next generation of engineering talent in Ireland by collaborating on the Engineers Ireland Steps programme.
‘This is a vital part of building the foundations of a lifelong interest or a career in STEM’
– ANN-MARIE HOLMES
The Steps programme is the only national full-time STEM outreach programme with a focus on engineering. It aims to encourage and educate future generations of engineers by supporting industry and community leaders to engage with primary and secondary school pupils through a number of hands-on workshops and programmes.
Engineering is at the core
Core initiatives include Engineers Week (2 to 8 March), the Young Engineers Award competition for third- and fourth-class pupils, the Engineering Your Future Programme for transition year students, and Engineering Girl Guides and Brownie Badges.
Ireland is Intel’s centre of manufacturing excellence in Europe. Since 1989, Intel has invested $13.9bn in Ireland, turning 360 acres of the Collinstown Industrial Park in Leixlip into the most advanced industrial campus in Europe.
“At Intel, engineers are at the very heart of everything that we do,” explained Ann-Marie Holmes, factory manager at Fab 24 and vice-president of Intel’s manufacturing and operations group.
“The products that we make, and the technologies in the world around us that those products enable, would simply not exist without the ingenuity, creativity and dedication of engineers. We are delighted to embark on this new strategic partnership with Engineers Ireland to further boost the pipeline of STEM talent in Ireland, and to ensure that both girls and boys are provided with the opportunity to engage in all that the world of engineering has to offer. We are particularly proud to support the Steps programme and the encouragement it provides in the classroom in the early years of education – this is a vital part of building the foundations of a lifelong interest or a career in STEM.”
The director general of Engineers Ireland, Caroline Spillane, pointed to the importance of fielding ever-increasing numbers of engineers to meet future skills demand.
“With our recent survey of members indicating that over 6,000 new jobs will be created in the engineering sector this year, engineers have never been more in demand in Ireland,” Spillane said.
“From cutting-edge research to design, an organisation like Intel employs engineers who are problem-solving and innovating on a daily basis, so we are very pleased to team up with such an important creative partner to further build awareness of the fantastic career prospects in the STEM area, particularly engineering, and to meet future skills demand to support economic growth in Ireland.”
