International Women Engineering Day 2021


STEPS Engineers Week is an annual campaign which promotes engineering and the importance of the profession to children in Ireland and is funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Department of Education and Skills and industry leaders ARUP, ESB, Intel and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The annual campaign enables all secondary schools to inspire the next generation of engineers and excites students about the possibilities a career in engineering can offer, standing out as an effective model of collective impact that has had a significant effect on increasing awareness among all students of the many and diverse range of engineering careers available.

Kickstarting STEM career pathways:

OECD figures indicate that in Ireland just 14% of bachelor’s graduates from engineering-related programmes are women. Since 2012, St Mary’s College (an all-girls’ mixed ability secondary school in Derry, Northern Ireland) have participated in the STEPS Engineers Week initiative with key goals to encourage their students to make informed subject option choices and to inspire increasing numbers of their students to enter STEM career pathways. There are many local STEM employers in the area who recruit new engineers regularly and St Mary’s College are dedicated to giving their girls the opportunity to enter the engineering industry. During this week, St Mary’s College works together with the wider business community and STEPS Engineers Ireland to promoted STEM careers in a fun and engaging way to their students and students from partner secondary and primary schools.

Collaboration is key:

Throughout the week, St Mary’s college host major events to promote engineering as a career for women. Students participate in engineering challenges, and projects; attend fun engineering shows; visit local engineering companies and third-level colleges for tours of their engineering facilities and gained an insight into the careers available and role model engineers working in engineering visit the school to showcase the wide range of STEM jobs available right on their doorstep. Coordinated by Mrs Clare Doherty, Head of Technology and Design at St Mary’s College, numerous engineering companies support the annual event as well as past pupils who now work in the engineering sector. In 2020, 35 visiting engineers, 20 employers and five third-level course providers attended St Mary’s College and more than 2500 students took part in activities.

Re-writing the narrative:

There has been a definite change in the attitude of students towards engineering at this all-girls school because of the whole school focus on engineering careers for one week annually to increase their awareness. Evaluation of data has been completed and analysed since 2011 conclusively show there has been an increased awareness among all students of the many and diverse range of engineering and STEM careers available. There was a 293% in students STEM related GCSE, AS & A2 courses in 2019. 90% of students surveyed in 2020 felt that they were very interested or quite interested in engineering careers after the event. Parental interviews show an increased awareness and understanding of the opportunities a career in STEM offers their daughters. Past pupils are employed in several Engineering jobs locally in companies including E&I Engineering, AE Global, Seagate, Bemis Healthcare Packaging, Gallagher & McKinney Engineering, Northstone and Terex.

STEPS Engineers Week 2022

STEPS Engineers Week 2022 takes place from the 5th – 11th March. The STEPS team will have free resources, including engineering activities, shows and documentaries available for young people to explore the creative world of engineering. Visit https://www.engineersireland.ie/schools/engineers-week for more information about STEPS Engineers Week.

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