Digital Futures is a program developed to raise students’ awareness of the diverse nature of career opportunities in the technology sector and promote STEM careers throughout Ireland. The program consists of an interactive presentation designed to be delivered in secondary schools and is ideally suited for Transition year students (Age 15-18), before they choose their Leaving Cert subjects. However, it may also be of interest to 5th and 6th year students who are considering their CAO choices. A number of CWIT member companies and partners deliver this program across Ireland, reaching in excess of 4,000 students each year.

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CWIT has partnered with Teen-Turn, an organisation that works with girls from DEIS schools and disadvantaged communities, to identify girls with academic promise, placing them in ‘Teen-Turnships’ so they can picture themselves in Tech careers. Teen-Turn aims to influence course decision-making processes, inform participants on education and career options and combat stereotypes by strategically changing how girls identify with technology career environments through work placements and after school activities. As learning in the presence of female role models has been shown to impact girl’s self-image and confidence, encouraging girls to see themselves in new ways and stimulate new interests, female company representatives mentor Teen-Turn participants, perpetuating interest and enthusiasm. More girls exploring and gaining an interest in technology will lead to more women earning technology qualifications, thus meeting a demand for skills that is currently outpacing supply.

Find out more about Teen Turn. 

Tech Starter is a panel discussion style event organised by CWIT and delivered in universities to STEM students. The panel consists of members of the Early Careers committee who speak to students about their own personal experiences of working in STEM, what it’s like to work for a technology company and making the transition from university to the workplace. The aim of Tech Starter is reduce the numbers of female dropouts from STEM degrees and increase the number of students who enter STEM/technology roles after graduation.

Read more about Tech Starter.

Piloted by Accenture, DCU and 30% club in 2016, this programme has now extended to a number of companies that members of CWIT and/or 30%Club. The objective of the programme is to provide pre-service teachers with first-hand experience of working in technology sector, dispel any misconception they may have about what type of people work in the sector and expose them to sheer variety of roles that exist and career paths that people take. Teachers are one of the biggest influencers for young people making subject and career choices and as these teachers with exposure to the industry embark on their pedagogical career they will be able to bring some of the transferrable skills like problem solving, brainstorming, design thinking skills they acquire from their internship to their classroom, and draw on their own experience and personal links to the industry to guide their pupils, particularly female students, towards pursuit of education and career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

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