Ireland’s leading biopharmaceutical and life science companies have come together with three Cork schools to tackle Ireland’s STEM skills shortage.
TY students from Carrigaline Community School, Kinsale Community School and Christ King Secondary School are taking part in the STEM TY Challenge, an initiative which aims to increase interest in STEM amongst young students and improve the numbers of young Irish people pursuing careers in Ireland’s STEM sector.
The STEM TY Challenge will begin with an exhibition in MTU this Friday between 10am – 12pm, where participants will showcase their work in front of their fellow students and key industry and education players.
The initiative is being piloted by top cork-based Irish pharmaceuticals Pfizer, Lilly, Janssen, DePuy Synthes, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Hovione, who have given 24 of the TY students the opportunity to complete a mentorship with them.
“The impetus for this initiative is three-fold: to deal with the myths surrounding STEM, to showcase the breath of the opportunity that is in STEM and STEM careers in the region, and to generate a pipeline of talent for companies in Cork region – and beyond,” said Marguerite O Sullivan, Director of Learning and Development at Johnson & Johnson and chair of STEM South West. “The students involved have learned an incredible amount from the initiative and developed key skills which will stand to them, and their employers, in the future.”
