One of the most effective ways to create more STEM graduates is to invest more resources in STEM education. This could involve an increase in funding at primary and post primary level, where STEM should be integrated into the curriculum in primary school. Furthermore, there should be increased funding for scholarships and bursaries for STEM students and additional resources provided for STEM-related extracurricular activities across all levels of education.

Studies have shown that women and other underrepresented groups are less likely to pursue careers in STEM fields. To address this, the Government should implement policies that encourage more diversity in STEM such as offering targeted outreach and mentorship programs for women and other underrepresented groups. The Government should launch a public awareness campaign that highlights the achievement of women in STEM, provide mentorship and offer targeted scholarships and bursaries for underrepresented groups in STEM education. STEM programmes in further education and higher education institutions should adopt policies and practices that foster a culture of inclusivity. This includes providing training for teaching staff on how to create an inclusive classroom and developing curricula that are more diverse and culturally responsive. Unconscious bias perpetuates stereotypes and limits diversity in STEM. The Government needs to work with further and higher education institutions and employers to develop training programs that help people to recognise and overcome unconscious bias.

There is also a need for an increase in the amount of STEM-focused programmes available at third level. This could involve creating new degree programmes in emerging fields like data science and cybersecurity, creating additional optional modules for students in these areas or expanding existing programmes to accommodate additional students.

Financial barriers have a visible effect on access to STEM courses at third level, especially for students from low-income backgrounds. The Government needs to provide financial assistance for education, improve access to online resources and create more opportunities for people to study STEM subjects in community colleges and further education institutions.

Many institutions have academic writing centres and mathematic centres that help students who may be struggling and need extra guidance. However, dropout rates in some STEM courses are as high as 80%, with students saying that the complexity of the courses was a reason for withdrawing early. Serious investment in academic supports in STEM is essential to retain students. There are hidden costs associated with attending third level and this is particularly the case with STEM courses where the cost of things like equipment, mandatory field trips and software can cause massive problems for student retention.

Given that not all students can, or wish to, attend a traditional university or college, support for apprenticeships and vocational programs should be improved by providing financial incentives to industry players to encourage them to take on apprentices. We need to see an expansion in the apprenticeship system to include more STEM fields, as well as financial support aimed at apprentices and trainees.

Funding needs to be increased for research grants, fellowships and other programmes that support STEM research. Collaboration between academia and industry is essential. By providing funding for joint research projects, the Government can create incentives for companies to work with higher education institutions on research. The Government must also expand STEM research facilities by investing in the laboratories and research centres in our education institutions. This would allow researchers to access the latest technology and equipment needed to conduct cutting-edge research. It is also crucial that researchers are paid a living wage for their time.