STEM promotion initiative in Tipperary schools

The Presentation Secondary School in Clonmel was a hive of activity recently as it hosted a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Careers Event.

The event drew participation from various local STEM industries and organisations, including Abbott, MSD, Camida, Boston Scientific, Tipperary Fire Service, Shorla, Pinewood, and Medite, as well as Kildalton College and SETU. More than 170 Transition Year students from Presentation, Loreto, and Gael Colaiste had the opportunity to hear from representatives of these local companies, who spoke about the wide array of STEM career opportunities available in their own community.

This event was made possible through the establishment of a STEM Cluster in Clonmel and Carrick on Suir coordinated by Calmast, the STEM Engagement Centre at South East Technological University (SETU) and funded by Science Foundation Ireland. The Hub and Cluster Initiative is a concerted effort to cultivate interest, enthusiasm, and proficiency in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The aim of the Cluster is to bring together local stakeholders to identify the specific needs of the community and help empower individuals across all age groups, from students to professionals, by providing them with access to resources, opportunities and mentorship in STEM-related fields. This is made possible through collaborative efforts supported by Calmast.

Over the past several years, Calmast has been collaborating with industries, such as MSD and Abbott, as well as institutions like Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir Libraries, Clonmel Museum, Tipperary Council, Carrick-on-Suir Biodiversity groups and schools to deliver a range of STEM activities including Science Week, Maths Week, Bealtaine Living Earth Biodiversity festival, SciFest, Engineers Week, and STEMreach programmes. Over 30,000 people take part in these activities annually.
A champion of STEM in the region is Paul Condon, Corporate Affairs in Camida and Board Member of BioPharmachemical Ireland.

He outlined the importance of the biopharmaceutical and pharma sector in Ireland and particularly Clonmel. He stated that Ireland has an export value of over 106bn a year which accounts for 67% of total goods exported from Ireland with 12 of the top selling medicines manufactured in Ireland. Over 80,000 people employed in the sector and an incredible
19 of the top 20 global pharma and biopharma companies are based in Ireland. Condon went on to say;  It was fantastic to participate in this event. It gave us a great opportunity to talk with our potential employees of the future, as students think about their careers, and we can share details of the many opportunities that exist locally. It also helps raise awareness of how important the Life Science sector is in Ireland both in terms of employment, but also the positive impact it has on the lives of patients all around the world.

Also in attendance at the Careers events was Anne Williams from MSD, and member of the STEM Cluster. Williams said that MSD Ireland is delighted to have supported the STEM engagement event at the Presentation Secondary School organised in conjunction with Calmast (SETU) dedicated to fostering STEM engagement within schools.  Our participation reflects our commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers and provided an opportunity to highlight potential career paths within the pharmaceutical sector.

Dr. Sheila Donegan, Calmast Director said I am thrilled with the turnout at the event from both students and industry. Highlighting Clonmel’s status as a hub for STEM related activity, Donegan went on to say This event was a great opportunity to emphasise the importance of STEM engagement for students and to see at first hand the diverse range of career opportunities available in the numerous STEM companies locally. It was wonderful to see students getting the opportunity to interact with STEM professionals as this really helps contextualise their classroom learning. Donegan stressed the collaborative nature of cluster work, emphasising that collective efforts yield far greater results than individual endeavours and that the Careers Event was a testament to that.

Hosting the event was the Presentation Secondary School, also a member of the Clonmel STEM Cluster and very active in the promotion of STEM. Marie Lawler, a science teacher in the school said The STEM careers event was a great success for our school and our students. They got to hear from professionals who are past students working in various STEM companies such as Camida, MSD and Abbott and Boston Scientific. They enjoyed the practical and creative aspects of participating in the stands that showcased the skills and knowledge required for stem careers. It was a rewarding and engaging event for our students.

CALMAST

CALMAST stands for the Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology. It was established at SETU in 2003, building on the work of the South East Schools Science Initiative which began in the 1990s. The centre is part of the School of Education and Lifelong Learning and works closely with the Schools of science, engineering and health sciences, with cross-disciplinary projects with the other schools at SETU.
Funded by Science Foundation Ireland as the STEM Hub for the South East of Ireland, CALMAST is developing clusters of industry, schools and government agencies across the region to deliver STEM locally through symbiotic partnerships. Our guiding principle is ‘STEM for all’. We are committed to inclusion regardless of gender, socio-economic background, ability or location.

The centre engages over 30,000 participants in the region each year. Maths Week Ireland, founded and coordinated by CALMAST, engages a further 500,000. The centre adopts a partnership approach working with external groups such as local and national visitor centres, local and other governmental agencies, non-governmental organisations, community groups, library services, institutions and industry to achieve impact, scale and sustainability. We want to reposition STEM in our culture by proposing a wide range of activities that promote inclusion, creativity, critical thinking, self-confidence and awareness of the environment.