Report launch comes as initiative marks three-year milestone at event in Microsoft Dream Space
- The initiative, which was spearheaded by Maynooth University and Microsoft Ireland and is co-funded by Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland, has focused on offering underrepresented students, particularly girls, a supported pathway into STEM
- Since 2021, the programme has expanded and has been rolled out to over 5,000 students across the four provinces of Ireland
- 79% now considering applying to study STEM at third level because of STEM Passport for Inclusion while 76% are now considering a career in STEM.
Wednesday 27th November 2024 – Today, Maynooth University, in partnership with Microsoft Ireland, Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and the Department of Education, has published the STEM Passport for Inclusion Impact Report which reveals that over 5,000 students from disadvantaged backgrounds have participated in the initiative to date. Notably, 76% of these students are now considering a career in STEM.
The All-Ireland STEM Passport for Inclusion programme is a joint initiative by Maynooth University, Microsoft Ireland, Research Ireland and the Department of Education that addresses inequalities with access to STEM careers among post-primary school students in socially disadvantaged communities. Initially developed as a pilot in 2021, the programme was expanded nationwide in December 2023.
The programme’s innovative approach, which combines a recognised qualification (Level 6 NFQ), education supports, and mentoring from industry role models, provides a unique pathway for female students to progress to third level education and achieve a STEM qualification.
Since its launch, over 5,370 female students from DEIS schools in all four provinces have been engaged, with 50% of participants from rural areas. As part of the programme 1,100 industry mentors have delivered 2,524 mentoring hours. The outcome has been that students from 117 DEIS schools have been empowered to graduate with a university accredited STEM qualification while still in post-primary school.
A survey of programme participants revealed that STEM Passport for Inclusion has positively changed students’ view of STEM with 79% now considering applying to study STEM at third level while 76% are considering a career in STEM.
The programme has also increased students’ knowledge of, and familiarity with, STEM. Only 45% of students reported knowing what STEM was before participating in the programme. This increased to 95% once students completed the programme.
This has helped to reduce the STEM confidence gap between girls in DEIS and non-DEIS schools. Previously, only 3 in 10 girls from DEIS schools were confident they could study STEM in the future while close to 6 in 10 girls from non-DEIS were confident. Once girls took part in STEM Passport for Inclusion, the STEM confidence gap between girls in DEIS and non-DEIS schools was all but eliminated.
While the report details the significant impact of the programme to date, it also includes several informed recommendations to further STEM engagement and the impact of the programme across Ireland.
STEM Impact Recommendations
- Expand the Programme Across All DEIS Schools: Secure funding to implement the programme in every DEIS school in Ireland – ensure nationwide access to STEM education for disadvantaged students.
- Provide Necessary Resources to DEIS Schools: Many schools lacked the resources to fully participate in the programme. Supplying these institutions with loaned technology, mobile lab kits, and internet support would help bridge this resource gap.
- Introduce Funded STEM Work Experience Programmes: Partner with industry to provide work experiences to enhance real-world learning and skill development. This initiative would be particularly valuable for DEIS students, who often lack exposure to STEM career pathways.
- Fund Longitudinal Research on Programme Impact: Invest in further comprehensive research so stakeholders can gain insights into long-term outcomes, enabling data-driven improvements and enhancing the programme’s sustainability.
The National Skills Strategy identified a need to increase STEM participation to develop the talent and skills that are needed for the future of work. Despite female students accounting for more than half of third-level students, they only make up 35% of STEM students. Moreover, fewer than one in ten graduates in STEM fields are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. STEM Passport for Inclusion seeks to address this by ensuring that every student, regardless of background, leaves school STEM prepared.
Speaking about her involvement in the initiative and the success of the programme so far, Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan, Digital Skills Lecturer at Maynooth University, said: “The publication of today’s report represents a milestone in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. Since its establishment, I have been lucky to see girls complete the programme with a renewed outlook on their potential and their thoughts about themselves have been transformed by the STEM Passport for Inclusion.
“When building out this initiative, we at Maynooth University set out to develop an evidence based, system solution, to address the underrepresentation of diverse women and girls in STEM. The success of the programme is evidenced by the roll out of the programme to over 5000 girls so far.
“We have been fortunate to receive support from our partners at Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland throughout this journey. Looking forward, we are excited to work alongside third level colleagues around Ireland as the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s reach expands. With the support of philanthropy and our partners, we are expanding the project from 2025-2027, furthering the program’s positive impact.”
Microsoft is the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s lead industry partner, having contributed €600,000 in match funding to date. In addition, Microsoft’s Dream Space education team co-designed the Level 6-accredited (NFQ) STEM Passport module and has supported the delivery of the STEM Passport curriculum to participating students in Dream Space venues in both Dublin and Belfast. More than 300 of Microsoft’s employees are actively supporting the STEM Passport for Inclusion mentoring programme, alongside other educators and representatives from over 180 private and public sector organisations.
Speaking about Microsoft Ireland’s role in the initiative, James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “Microsoft Ireland has been involved in STEM Passport for Inclusion since its inception three years ago and we’re extremely proud of the role that the Microsoft Dream Space team has played in the co-design and delivery of the programme. In recent years, mass digitalisation and the era of AI have transformed professional expectations and elevated the importance of the next generation engaging in STEM and AI and pursuing a career in the technology sector.
“At Microsoft, we are passionate about ensuring that every young person, irrespective of their background, has the opportunity to engage in STEM and advancements in technology. STEM Passport for Inclusion does just that. Our involvement in the programme, both from a delivery and mentorship perspective, has been extremely rewarding and has allowed us to open our doors to students who traditionally would not have pursued STEM careers. We’re proud of the impact the initiative has had to date and look forward to working with the team at Maynooth University to continue to drive it forward and reach even more students.”
The project is co-funded by Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland, the new national competitive research and innovation funding agency and the Department of Education. Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland welcomed the report, saying: “We are delighted to continue our support of this wonderfully successful initiative through our Discover Programme. Research Ireland is committed to empowering women from all backgrounds to access vital routes to STEM careers. I’m so excited to see how these students will contribute and thrive as STEM professionals in the future.”
STEM Passport for Inclusion graduate, Ava Kenny is now a third-year science student at Maynooth University. Commenting on her participation in the programme, Ava said: “Before taking part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion I was unsure if I wanted to pursue a college education, let alone pursue a career in STEM. The realm of science seemed distant and unfamiliar to me, and I didn’t know of anyone working in STEM. From my first day in the programme, I was captivated by the many doors a career in STEM could open for me.
“The STEM Passport for Inclusion guided my path into third level education as I am now studying science at Maynooth University. As I move on to the next stage of my life, I am excited about the prospect of a career in STEM and I know that the lessons I learned throughout the programme will stand to me.”
More details on the programme can be found here and the impact report can be accessed here.
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Notes to Editor
About STEM Passport for Inclusion
What is the STEM Passport:
The STEM Passport for Inclusion is a national initiative which provides girls who are in Transition Year with the opportunity to participate in a University-accredited qualification in STEM. The module, called Introduction to 21st century STEM skills, carries 5 credits at Level 6; it provides young women in DEIS schools with access to computer science skills, coding, design thinking and generic STEM skills. The qualification is currently accredited in three universities – Maynooth University, Munster Technological University and Atlantic Technological University. The young women also take part in a structured mentoring programme, where women and men from industry participate in a mentoring for equality programme.
The STEM Passport qualification is part of a new initiative which provides DEIS students with an exciting new STEM Pathway; students who complete the module can receive 50 Leaving Cert points towards entry to specific STEM courses in Maynooth University and Munster Technological University. This initiative attempts to address the lack of diversity within STEM courses and careers; we aim to provide DEIS students with the opportunity to see their future in STEM courses and careers.
What is involved:
Students will attend three full days of education in an Industry Hub in their province. Students in Leinster will complete the module in Microsoft Dream Space, students in Munster will attend the RDI Hub in Killorglin, students in Connaught and Ulster will be taught in selected hubs in Belfast, Letterkenny, Sligo and Galway. The three full learning days start at 9am and finish at 4pm and involve experiential learning experiences based on the learning outcomes of the Level 6 programme; the students work through activities that aim to support in the development of key STEM competencies that are transferable across the STEM disciplines and many other areas of study and work such as computational thinking, empathy, data analysis, collaboration, communication, coding, and AI literacy. Students are expected to complete assignments and engage with remote learning activities to reach the required outcomes for the qualification. The students are fully registered students of the university and have full access to student resources.
