Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Female Entrepreneurship, Women in Tech Industries, Skills Needs and Balanced Regional Development: Enterprise Ireland

1:40 pm

Mr. Tom Hayes:

Yes. There is no differentiation at the moment. The biggest challenge is to increase the level of penetration in secondary schools. Approximately 35% of secondary schools in Ireland participate. One of the biggest challenges is to encourage the teachers because unless one engages with and involves them, it is very difficult. A local enterprise office cannot just walk into a school and get students to partake in the student enterprise awards. It is a challenge to get a higher level of penetration in secondary schools.

The Chairman made an interesting point now that a spotlight is being put on the female side to see if we can focus a little bit differently. In terms of secondary schools, I am not sure what the level of female participation is vis-à-vismale participation. I have been at a few of these awards ceremonies, which usually culminate in the national finals in Croke Park, and there certainly seems to be a very high level of girls participating in those programmes. It is an interesting point and maybe some other spotlight could be put on the female side of things.