The first group of student teachers on the Accenture-DCU internship programme has graduated, now equipped to explain the importance of STEM to their future pupils.
Launched at the end of May, the internship saw student teachers from DCU taking up three-month placements in Accenture’s Dublin operation. The programme enabled them to get a feel for a career area they may one day be recommending that students enter.
Participant Sean O’Donnell explained: “I often notice that students might say, ‘Oh, why am I learning physics? Why am I learning maths?’ and I really don’t have an answer for them. So I really wanted to get into the industry, learn what Accenture have, and relay that back to the students.”
The internship programme was developed on the basis of findings in joint reports from Accenture Ireland and Silicon Republic, which indicated that a high proportion of girls believe that STEM subjects are too difficult and better suited to boys.
Words by Kirsty Tobin
