CAO – Engineers Ireland welcomes increased interest in engineering as a career choice
Engineers Ireland has welcomed reported data from the Central Applications Office (CAO) that shows an 11 percent rise in first preference applications by 2nd level pupils for 3rd level engineering courses at Ireland’s higher education institutes.
The professional body which represents over 25,000 engineers said that it welcomed the growing awareness of, and interest in, engineering as a career choice by young people.
Welcoming reports of data relating to the 1 February 2019 CAO deadline, Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland, said: “We are pleased to see evidence of a growing awareness and interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths), and particularly engineering, amongst young people.
“An engineering qualification offers a chance to do extremely rewarding work, enhance people’s lives and explore almost limitless career opportunities.
“As a small island nation we are dependent on the quality and quantity of our STEM graduates,” she said.
Ms Spillane added that there is an acute shortage of skilled engineers, and said that an estimated “6,000 new jobs will be created in the engineering sector in Ireland this year.”
Ms Spillane concluded: “We wish the students every success with their studies in the coming weeks and we hope that those who have opted for an engineering course as their CAO first choice preference will be successful, and have an opportunity to go on to develop the technical and professional skills which are so valued by employers and are now so badly needed in industry.”