Farry opens Derry Science Festival STEM Masterclass

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry today opened the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Masterclass at the North West Regional College as part of the NI Science Festival.

The main theme of the Masterclass is the promotion of study of STEM subjects and how skills and education link with employment, with key speakers from the USA discussing their work and the international opportunities that STEM presents. The Minister also participated in the ‘US Naval Communications Scholarship Awards’ which recognise outstanding performance by further education students studying engineering or computing at North West Regional College.

Minister Farry said: “The STEM sector is strong in the North West with major international companies such as Allstate, Seagate, Dupont and Invista having significant operations based here, as well as numerous indigenous companies competing on a global scale.

“A key part of today’s proceedings is that we will hear the real experiences of students who have come through our further education colleges to progress their education and employment in the STEM sector. Encouraging young people to develop the skills and qualifications required in STEM-related careers is key to future economic growth and attracting inward investors to Northern Ireland.

“We know that in the future there will be a heavy reliance on a workforce with STEM skills which open doors to many exciting opportunities and Adelaide House, 39-49 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8FD Tel: (028) 9025 7790 Fax: (028) 9025 7592 are valuable in both enabling people to access their chosen STEM based career and in building a strong foundation for many other career paths.”

The keynote speaker at the conference was Dr Yvonne Spicer from the Boston Museum of Science, who highlighted the innovative STEM outreach work of the museum. Dr Claire McNulty, Director of Science at the British Council, Sue Sontgerath from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and Andrew (Drew) O’Brien, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the US Department of State, also presented at the event.

Drew was instrumental in establishing several of the international contacts and in January 2014 led a ‘Partnership Opportunity Delegation’ to Northern Ireland around the topic of STEM education and entrepreneurship. Drew said: “I am delighted to be back in Northern Ireland again, especially during the inaugural Science Festival. I am happy to see that the partnerships that began a year ago are now reaping rewards. We have much to learn from each other in STEM and other areas and I am confident that these relationships will continue to flourish.”

North West Regional College (NWRC) Principal Leo Murphy said: “NWRC has a long tradition of collaboration with industry, to enhance and inform the student experience, and to prepare students for employment, especially within the Software Engineering, IT, Built Environment, Science and Engineering sectors. I am proud to say that students graduate from our courses ready to contribute meaningfully to the STEM sectors here and further afield. Much of this is due to the range of unique opportunities they get here at the College.”

The ‘US Naval Communications Scholarship Awards’ are sponsored by the US Navcommsta Londonderry Alumni Association, which is a body commemorating the US Naval Communications base situated in Derry City during the Second World War.

The inaugural Science Festival began on 19 February and features over 100 events to an expected audience of more than 12,000 visitors throughout Northern Ireland. The festival will focus on providing young people, adults and families with a wide range of interactive workshops, inspirational talks, project displays and hands-on activities.

More information on the Northern Ireland Science Festival is available at www.nisciencefestival.com or for information on STEM related careers visit: