Smart Futures sent some top science and technology speakers on the road for Science Week 2013 to talk to students about careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The speakers gave an insight into what they studied, what they do now and why they love their role! The speakers gave insights to over 600 students about their different kinds of occupations, the skills needed and the opportunities that working in STEM can offer. Prizes were awarded to the student with the best question asked at the end of each session.
Three organisations, Teagasc (the Agriculture and Food Development Authority), SAP (a leading technology company) and CPL recruitment agency, kindly offered their staff’s time and knowledge to travel around the country to deliver these talks in Sligo IT, NUI Galway, University Limerick, University College Cork and DIT Kevin Street.
Smart Futures speakers at UCC (L-R) Dr. Arlene O’Neill CRANN TCD; Gavin Ryan, CPL Cork; Adrian Collins, CIT Blackrock Observatory and Norma O’Callaghan, Trend Micro
Smart Futures speakers at University Limerick (L-R): Graham Burns, CPL; Dr. Rita Hickey, Teagasc; and Leo Dillon, SAP
The speakers ranged from researchers, specialists, engineers and designers to managers, company vice presidents and PhD students. They discussed a broad variety of career areas in STEM, such as:
• Engineering industrial products and processes
• Designing medical devices for babies in intensive care
• Cyber security, cybercrime and cyber bullying
• Physics and planets
• Investigating biological properties of food
• Nanotechnology
• Car manufacturers
• Games Industry
Interestingly, some speakers didn’t have traditional science backgrounds, like Agnes Eising from SAP for example. Agnes completed a Master of Arts degree in English Literature, Linguistics and Art History in Germany and now works as a Support Engineer in projects that seek to reduce waste and add value to businesses. Speakers not only had work experiences in Ireland to talk about; some of the speakers had worked in the USA, New Zealand and Japan!
Some lucky students even won prizes for the best career question! We hope that these roadshows have helped guide students to their own Smart Futures! Remember to check out the blog to read through lots of STEM career stories.
Louis Roberts from PBC with Dr Arlene O’Neill in UCC
