Shannon Programme Highlights STEM Career Options
A new week-long transition year (TY) programme aimed at highlighting the career opportunities in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) has been launched by Shannon Chamber.
STEM Shannon is being run in conjunction with Shannon Chamber and involves Shannon-based companies such as Intel, Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon, Reagecon, Chemifoc and Zimmer Biomet.
The week-long programme will see a group of TY students spend the first two days in Molex and the third day in Intel, before breaking into separate groups of six to move between the remaining companies, gaining a cumulative five days’ work experience. Throughout their placement students will be given a greater insight into the world of engineering by being involved in briefings, interactive engineering games, plant tours, demo workshops, lab demos and testing and chemistry experiments.
Speaking at the programme launch, Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes said: “This programme is the brainchild of Molex, who wanted to give their employees’ children a most broad-based appreciation of the jobs’ scope that STEM offers. We expanded the concept to extend the offer to children from local and neighbouring schools.”
“We were delighted when they approached us to see if we could interest other companies in Shannon in joining forces with them to put together a programme that would enable TY students to spend time in different engineering environments. They wanted students, particularly girls, to know that science and engineering is a very exciting career choice with enormous potential. Once the concept is established, it could act as a model for other communities and regions throughout Ireland.”
Pictured Above: Secondary school students join Keith Reilly, Molex; Helen Downes, Shannon Chamber and Angela Higgins, Molex to commence their week-long TY programme. Photo: Eamon Ward