Amid the excitement surrounding another year of Leaving Cert results in Ireland, an education body has lauded the increased uptake of languages and science subjects in secondary school.
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) has welcomed the fact that 9pc and 12pc more students sat higher-level physics and chemistry Leaving Certificate papers, respectively, compared to 2013.
This reflects Ireland’s changing workforce need, with STEM subjects offering routes to employment that perhaps seemed fanciful a decade ago.
French, German and Spanish saw a “modest jump”, too, which could eventually help Ireland produce more candidates for the growing number of multilingual positions.
“The combined efforts of government policy and effective teaching have had tangible effects on the uptake of both STEM and foreign language learning,” said Clive Byrne, director of the NAPD.
This is something many in the industry have been encouraging for a while now, with Hays telling us as far back as January that it’s imperative that Ireland’s youngsters are encouraged towards STEM as early as possible.
“STEM, in particular, has immeasurable worth to this new generation of school leavers,” said Byrne. “Ireland’s digital economy is burgeoning, but a lack of tech skills means talent is imported from abroad to fill the sector’s 6,000 vacancies.
“This is now beginning to change. Continued investment in and promotion of a STEM-focused curriculum by policymakers and educators will only bring further long-term benefits to our children.”
Considering the consistent supply of jobs in this area, it will also bring further benefits to companies already operating in Ireland.
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