Skillnet Ireland celebrates 10 years of inspiring next generation of female leaders through the STEM Teacher Internship (STInt) Programme

Ahead of United Nations (UN) International Women’s Day, March 8th, the national STEM Teacher Internship (STInt) programme, coordinated by Dublin City University (DCU), is urging teachers and businesses to get involved and inspire the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) leaders. One primary teacher will impact 1,000 learners in their career, while one secondary teacher will impact 5,000. Now in its 10th year, 310 teachers have engaged with the STInt programme to date and their involvement has the potential to impact over 1.2 million learners over the course of their careers. 

The STInt programme is supported by Skillnet Ireland, along with Research Ireland, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Connecting Women in Technology; the 30% Club; CASTel and Intel. The initiative provides primary and post-primary teachers with paid summer internships in STEM roles, in a wide variety of industries across Ireland. It helps student and early-career teachers gain real-world insights and equips them with the knowledge of what it is like to work in STEM in Ireland right now.  

Dr Eilish McLoughlin, Associate Professor DCU School of Physical Sciences and founder of the STInt programme, said: “Encouraging young people, particularly female students, to engage in STEM from an early age is crucial for inspiring them to pursue future careers in Ireland’s growing science and tech sectors. Over the past decade, the STInt programme has provided unique opportunities to over 310 teachers to experience STEM roles and careers and empower them to design innovative learning experiences for young learners based on real-world contexts. More STEM graduates are needed to tackle societal challenges, such as, climate change, energy, health and issues we have yet to imagine. Organisations and businesses are strongly encouraged to collaborate with the STInt programme and help shape a brighter future for individuals and societies.” 

Skillnet Ireland, the national talent development agency, has been a programme partner since 2023, providing support for the STInt programme to contribute to a lasting impact on the future workforce.   

Tracey Donnery, Director of Policy & Communications at Skillnet Ireland, said: “The mission of the STInt programme reflects Skillnet Ireland’s commitment to building a diverse and highly skilled STEM workforce that will drive Ireland’s future economy. With industries like biotechnology, engineering, and AI shaping the country’s economy, empowering young people in STEM ensures a more inclusive, competitive workforce and inspires the next generation of leaders and innovators.”  

The UN is dedicating International Women’s Day 2025 to a call for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all women. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation -particularly young women and adolescent girls - to act as catalysts for lasting change. 

Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, said: “We are delighted to support STInt through the Research Ireland Discover Programme, providing teachers across both primary and post-primary education with the unique experience of a STEM internship in industry. These internships empower teachers to design innovative and engaging STEM learning experiences, showing students the value of STEM in real-world contexts. Collaborations between education, research and industry are vital to inspire young learners to engage with STEM and to provide them with the skills they need to adapt to our rapidly changing world.” 

Communications services provider BT is one of a number of leading businesses that have hosted STInt interns over the last decade. Trudi Brook, Service Enablement Senior Manager at BT, said: “I love that through us sharing a view of what it is like to be part of a tech company with a STInt intern, the teachers get real-world insights that they go on and share with their pupils. It is always refreshing and insightful to have someone with a different point of view come and join the team and ask questions about why we do the things that we do. It helps understanding across the board. They often ask the obvious questions that are easy to miss when you are deep in the space." 

After parents, teachers are the most influential adults impacting the lives of students. The STInt programme supports pre-service and early-career primary and post-primary teachers with paid internships in STEM roles across a variety of industries across Ireland. The programme involves seven universities which include Dublin City University, Maynooth University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Galway, and University of Limerick. Together, they have supported over 310 STEM placements, with over 60 host companies across a range of sectors including technology, biopharma, medtech and professional services.   

According to the 2024 STInt programme annual report, 94% of STInt participants were very confident they could identify diverse STEM role models for their students, 92%  felt very confident they could design a STEM learning experience based on a real-world context and 91% were very confident they could advise students on STEM careers after taking part in the programme. 

For further information about the STEM Teacher Internship programme, visit www.stemteacherinternships.ie.