Mr. Michael Fitzgerald:

The answer is "early". It needs to start in primary school. The research our student teachers carried out for us - this was across the EU and not just in Ireland - showed that these kinds of decisions are made very early on in primary school. It could be a matter of boys and girls doing certain subjects. That decision is made. Parents have a strong role as motivators in what children do. A multifaceted approach is perhaps needed to educate parents on how they might influence their children to take a broader view of STEM as an attractive career option.