Broadening the talent pipeline in STEM is a multifactorial conundrum – educating the educators is a critical step forward
Lorna Martyn Regional Chair and SVP, Technology, Fidelity Investments Ireland
In 1987, I first crossed the threshold of the University of Limerick excited to start my formal studies in computer science. The technology landscape was dominated by hardware manufacturers with software engineering opportunities concentrated in Dublin or abroad.
IBM and Digital were the backbone of processing, but personal computing was growing as Microsoft released Windows 2.0 that year as was the 1G telecommunications standard. This was three years before Tim Berners-Lee published his first web page, eleven years prior to the coining of the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the always-on mobile life we live was the stuff of dreams.
What wasn’t apparent was a shortage of representation in the industry pipeline – my college class was close to gender balanced, including European, US and International students from a variety of cultures and I joined a gender balanced graduate program when diversity and inclusion wasn’t a prominent narrative. Today Ireland is a global technology hub, and like most locations, finding diverse talent is a challenge and priority. While I have experienced technology advances, I dream of that time when a diverse talent pipeline was just a given, but the realist accepts the resolution requires a multi-faceted strategy.
Workplace diversity and inclusion is a by-product of a more diverse Ireland. The school curriculum here is broadening with more emphasis on STEM subjects. However, we have a long way to go. Fewer than 20% of women who pursue higher education study STEM, compared to 43% of males and the software engineering numbers are significantly lower. In a recent poll 61% of Irish teen girls said they lack female role models for STEM. There are strong partnerships between government, academia, and industry recognising the value of STEM with many strategies but persistence, and ongoing investment in vital.
Strategic commitments supporting education from AmCham members like Fidelity are part of the solution. Fidelity has forged strategic interventions across all levels of the education system, early careers, and ongoing professional development. Influencing the influencers (teachers, parents, students, professionals) through education programmes, access to role models and CSR initiatives promotes STEM in the broader ecosystem. Examples include Fidelity’s Root2STEM in-house STEM camp, equipment donations, engagement with Junior Achievement Ireland, University partnerships on CodePlus, CSinc, hosting student teacher STEM interns (STInt) all promote diverse careers and a key ingredient of each is educating the educators.
Real-world exposure to role models breaks down stereotypes and reinforcing partnerships between the educational and business sectors supports our committed educators in learning new skills and acquiring knowledge to promote STEM career pathways to students. If the business sector continues to lean-in ever closer to the education system while continuing to support diverse hiring and advancement – the resulting momentum has the potential to close the diversity gap in STEM by empowering a large and growing cohort of engaged and diverse educators, role models, mentors and advocates to inspire our next generation of STEM professionals.
Fidelity has forged strategic interventions across all levels of the education system, early careers, and ongoing professional development.
