Fidelity Investments and University of Galway have announced the launch of a new partnership that will impact more than 2,500 female students in the next two years.
With women accounting for less than 20% of ICT graduates over the last seven years in Ireland, more needs to be done to encourage female students to explore the world of STEM.
To bridge the gap in the west of Ireland, Fidelity Investments and University of Galway will work together under a national project to inspire female students to consider working in technology.
This meaningful industry-academia partnership involving Fidelity Investments and University of Galway will support CodePlus, a nationwide outreach engagement project, involving Trinity College Dublin, Lero/University of Limerick and University of Galway, aimed at overcoming this gender imbalance that exists in Computer Science and ICT courses at third level in Ireland.
Through a range of workshops, company visits, and career talks which take place over a 20-hour program, CodePlus uses interactive learning and real-life experiences to inspire female students to embrace STEM and consider technology and computer science subjects at third level.
Lorna Martyn, Fidelity Ireland Regional Chair and SVP Technology, said CodePlus is an innovative accessible pathway signposting opportunities in Computer Science careers to young women.
“It intentionally addresses the gender imbalance in participation across Ireland’s third-level institutions,” she said.
“As a personal advocate for greater female participation in technology careers and directly aligned to Fidelity Investment’s strategic commitment to education at every level and fostering new diverse talent pipelines, I am thrilled to announce Fidelity’s new two-year partnership with the University of Galway on the CodePlus programme.
“Presently, only 15% of Irish schools offer Computer Science as a subject, with 22% of females studying the subject in those schools.
“There is an urgent need to bridge the participation gap and provide equitable, inclusive, and real-world opportunities to encourage young Irish females to be the next generation of technology leaders and innovators.
“Fidelity Investments Ireland is looking forward to supporting the programme through company visits, workshops and career talks from female role models working at Fidelity. By providing real-life experiences to the students in partnership with CodePlus, we believe we can have a positive impact on the students’ understanding, outlook, and attitude to careers in STEM and most particularly careers in technology and software engineering.”
