Northern Ireland’s STEM skills shortage is well documented and following uncertainty resulting from Brexit and the Covid 19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to develop the best pools of STEM candidates to ensure future economic growth. This focus on skills has recently been reflected in the Department for the Economy’s vision for a 10X economy and also by Matrix NI, the Science Industry panel, who have recommended that encouraging more women into STEM and supporting them to remain in the STEM skills pipeline, could contribute significantly to solving the STEM skills shortage that we are facing.
With this in mind, the Equality Commission will host a series of webinars over the next 12 months to examine gender equality issues in STEM, with input from both expert speakers and employers who are delivering best practice in this area.
The first webinar will take place on Wednesday 18 August from 11.00 am to 12 noon. We are pleased to welcome NI Women in STEM Steering group member, Emer Murnaghan, OBE, who will discuss the continuing shortage of women in the STEM sector in Northern Ireland, the barriers to women entering STEM careers and the NI Executive’s plans to address the STEM skills shortage. The webinar will also cover aspects of gender equality which can impact on gender balance within the workforce, such as positive action, flexible working and workplace culture and the support the Equality Commission can provide to employers promoting equality in their workplace.
To book a place on this free webinar, please follow the link, https://stem-update-180821.eventbrite.co.uk and complete your registration details online. If you require further information, please contact hwilson@equalityni.org
