Damien Owens
Director General, Engineers Ireland
Engineers Week engages 100,000 primary and secondary students nationwide in educational activities, showcasing the exciting and dynamic world of engineering.
Engineering is not merely a fascinating subject but a varied and rewarding career. Engineers design new products, develop the latest renewable energy, build much-needed homes and even help to make space exploration possible. It is also a job with strong prospects.
Few young people are entering engineering
Engineers Ireland’s Salary Report 2025 shows that engineering graduates can earn up to €44,000 per annum in their first year of work. However, despite the attractions of an engineering career, too few young people are entering the profession.
SOLAS, the state agency responsible for further education and training, reports that there is an engineering skills shortage right across the labour market. Meanwhile, Engineers Ireland’s barometer report, Engineering 2024, predicted that there would be around 6,000 vacancies in engineering roles that year.
Misconceptions about
engineering inhibit students.
Engineering misconceptions in students
Unfortunately, misconceptions about engineering inhibit students from considering it as a career. One of the most pervasive, identified by research in a number of countries, is that engineering requires a strong natural ability in mathematics or a ‘maths brain’ that relatively few possess. This is wrong and should be challenged.
There is plenty of mathematics in engineering, but natural ability in maths has a much smaller bearing on a successful career in engineering than a genuine interest in, and dedication to, the subject. Attitude is ultimately more important than raw ability.
Encouraging young people to have a greater understanding of the applications of STEM subjects, finding opportunities to see and interact with STEM role models and increasing awareness of the career opportunities at a young age are all vital in encouraging more children to persist with these subjects.
Awareness and access to STEM
While stereotypes and lack of awareness about STEM subjects negatively impact all children, the effect can be more pronounced on girls and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. These groups are disproportionately underrepresented in the engineering profession.
As parents, educators and policymakers, we can do more to embed an interest in, and positive view of, engineering — at home and in school. Engineers Week is a perfect opportunity to begin that journey.
