Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual breakdown between the number of female and male graduates in each of the years 2014 to 2016 in third level graduate courses in engineering, manufacturing, construction, science, technology and maths, in tabular form; the incentives and polices in place to fill the current shortage of qualified graduates here for vacancies arising in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12998/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to building upon our provision of STEM in primary, post-primary and third level education in order to ensure that we have the graduates to fulfil the existing and growing needs in STEM. Innovation 2020 - the Government’s five-year strategy on research and development, science and technology, has the goal of making Ireland a Global Innovation Leader, and by so doing, ensuring a strong and sustainable economy.

The Department of Education and Skills Action Plan for Education for 2016-2019 and the National Skills Strategy, has a clear commitment to supporting and developing STEM.

The STEM report published in November last year by the STEM Education Review Group presents a detailed examination of the provision of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in Ireland. It focussed on schools and on the necessary capacity building required to achieve a step-change in outcomes for learners that will benefit our society and the economy.

The recommendations proposed by the STEM Education Review Group are consistent with many existing and planned initiatives. They add considerable value to our thinking and will influence significantly the development (in the first half of 2017) of a STEM Education Policy Statement and implementation plan. This will further support teaching and learning in Science and Mathematics at all levels of the education system.

Within our school system, STEM education is growing, while new initiatives will continue to support greater participation and improved performance in STEM.My Department is committed to curricular reform in relation to STEM, for example

- Introduction of computer science subject at senior cycle in September 2019

- Introduction of new Science Syllabus for Junior Cycle in September 2016

- Development of a new primary mathematics curriculum which will support all children in the development of algorithmic and computational thinking to include coding

- New Science specification has been introduced for junior cycle students

- Junior Cycle Mathematics specification to be published in 2017 and implemented in 2018.

The information on graduates by gender in Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction, ICT and Natural Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics for the most recent three years available is as follows -

Springboard+ is a labour market activation measure which aims to reach people who have a previous history of employment but who have lost their job as a result of the recession.  Its primary objective has been to help unemployed people to remain as close as possible to the labour market by accessing part-time flexible higher education and training opportunities to up-skill or re-skill in areas where sustainable employment opportunities may arise as the economy recovers. Since 2011 over 35,000 learners have participated on programmes in areas of key skill shortages. These include ICT, advanced manufacturing (including engineering, bio-pharma and med tech), financial services and construction.  

In 2017 the programme is being expanded and manufacturing programmes will be open to people irrespective of their employment status; previously you needed to be unemployed to access these courses in Springboard+. The purpose of the change is to continue to address key skill shortages by providing focussed industry-related courses, even as the numbers on the Live Register continue to fall.

The ICT programmes provided under Springboard+, including a part-time ICT Conversion Programme, introduced in 2016 and open to people irrespective of their employment status, forms part of a suite of measures to increase the supply of ICT graduates as part of the implementation of the ICT Skills Action Plan 2014 - 2018. In addition to the targeted Springboard+ ICT courses, HEA funds additional places on mainstream Computer Science courses at Level 8.Institutions have been allocated €2,000 per additional place. In 2016 an additional 400 places were funded. The Information Technology Investment Fund (ITIF) continues to support HEI ICT programme retention, and provides annual block funding to HEIs, (€80,000 for Universities and €54,000 for IOTs). HEIs allocate this funding across their specific retention activities. Activities are focused on integration of incoming students, supports and facilities for all students, and targeted activities for students experiencing difficulties.

Reports covering activity in 2016, detail over 100 specific retention supports delivered to ICT students. These include learning support centres; additional tutorials over the summer and weekends; peer mentoring; staff retention seminars; group building initiatives; maths learning supports; and improved infrastructure. The Fund also supports the provision on Computer Science Summer Camps for second level students. In 2016  29 camps were funded nationally facilitating over 1,245 students. Each HEI was awarded €5,000 to support camps programmes. Camps typically target transition year students and run for a week. A particular focus is placed on the inclusion of girls, with some girls’ only camps. In 2016 over 40% of participants were female. The aim of the camps is to foster an interest in Computer Science as a potential third level option for second level students. HEI computing departments are centrally involved in supporting coder dojos, providing facilities to host dojos, third level computing students to run clubs and lecturers to provide mentoring strategies. HEIs link their computing camps and computing outreach activities to coderdojo activities and use these to foster greater links with secondary schools within their region.

This morning (March 20th), Minister Halligan and I announced additional funding of €2.25 Million to boost ICT Skills development with additional summer camps for second level students being developed, as well as up to 700 additional places on ICT courses.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) will write to higher education institutions to seek proposals for three calls:

- Additional ICT Summer Camps for second level students,

- Additional undergraduate places on core level 8 full-time courses

- A call for full-time level 9 MSc computing courses.

The promotion of STEM careers to students is part of the remit of Science Foundation Ireland who manage the SmartFutures initiative.