Entries Open for the Inaugural STEM South West Awards 2024

Leaders of STEM in Industry, Education and the Community are to be recognised by the STEM South West Awards 2024. The Awards were launched by European Commissioner nominee Michael McGrath TD, Bob Savage, CIO (EMEA) & Cork Site Lead, Dell Technologies, and Mary Good, Chair STEM South West  & Managing Director of Advanced Medical Services, at Cork County Hall.

Companies leading the 75,000+ people working in the South West’s thriving STEM sectors are invited to showcase their various programmes and initiatives in place to actively support the future talent pipeline and STEM growth strategy in the region.

The inaugural Awards will recognise companies and education providers who are leading the charge for the region’s STEM community and safeguarding the economic and employment future for the STEM industry in the South West.

STEM South West, representing over 50 companies working within the STEM sector in the South West region, who collectively employ thousands of people, say online entries will remain open until September 20th. Winners will be decided by an independent judging panel, led by Bob Savage, and will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on November 21st.

There are 3 main categories:

• STEM in Industry:  Company of the Year
  – Small / Startup (up to 50 Employees)
  – Small to Medium (50 – 249 Employees)
  – Large Categories (250+ Employees))
• STEM in Education:  Educational Initiative of the Year
  (Primary, Secondary, and Third Level)
• STEM in the Community:   Transition Year (TY) Challenge of the Year

Launching the Awards, Minister McGrath,

“STEM plays such an important role in the economy of our region, which is home to a wide range of industries, from pharma and life sciences to engineering and technology. STEM South West brings together a wide variety of stakeholders including universities, local government, both SME and multinational employers, and state agencies to facilitate skills training.

There are now more than 250k people enrolled in publicly funded higher education colleges in Ireland. These prestigious awards provide us with an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the growth of STEM in the region.”

Speaking at the launch Mary Good, Chairperson of STEM South West,

“We are calling on companies, schools and educational institutes that are directly engaged in supporting the development of STEM subject study and career development to enter. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) forecasts that 21,000 additional jobs will be created by 2027. To support Ireland’s important and fast-growing Biopharma sector as just one example of a sector set to grow in future years, nurturing and developing a robust talent STEM pipeline is fundamental to future economic performance.”

STEM South West aims to provide a competitive, innovative, and resilient enterprise base that will facilitate STEM skills training, cross-regional collaboration between industry, government, and academia, and increase employment and economic opportunities throughout the STEM sector in the South West region.?

With Cork set to become the fastest-growing region under the Project 2040 plan, STEM South West say the region (Cork and Kerry) is a place where opportunity meets talent, particularly in STEM.

Bob Savage, Chair of the Judging Panel for the STEM South West Awards noted,

“Cork & the greater South West region now employs over 75,000 people in STEM businesses. It is an integral part of our local economy and has consistently grown over the past 40 years to become the region’s largest employer.  We must continue to develop and recognise initiatives that support the growth of this crucial industry sector for the future.”

The Awards

The “STEM Company of the Year” award celebrates organisations leading the way in creating a proactive, inclusive and supportive environment for STEM, both within their own company and through outreach initiatives.

This allows for entrants to outline the organisation’s corporate culture, development opportunities, and commitment to supporting, upskilling, and empowering STEM professionals. Any specific initiatives developed to encourage and inspire the next generation to consider future studies and career choices in the STEM sector will be of particular interest this year.

Attracting and retaining diverse and talented individuals is essential for driving innovation and safeguarding the future success of STEM expertise in the Southwest. Nurturing development opportunities for the next generation is also essential.

The “STEM in Education” award celebrates educational institutes, departments and classroom-led initiatives (primary, secondary and third level) that show the way toward creating an inclusive and supportive educational environment for STEM. Applications are also welcome from individual contributors, such as educators, lecturers, teachers, and career guidance professionals.

Educational initiatives in this category should demonstrate a commitment to inspiring, supporting, and empowering the next generation to engage in STEM-related topics. Entries can also demonstrate an innovative approach and robust learning opportunities for students.

The “TY Challenge of the Year” award celebrates a STEM in Transition Year (TY) initiative that created an excellent development and learning opportunity, inspiring the next generation, and resulting in the empowerment and upskilling of those who participated.

Nominations for STEM South West awards are now open at https://stemsouthwest.ie/awards/ and STEM South West are encouraging companies, education providers and students to get involved in this year’s Awards.