MyScience.ie

The predicted trend of an increase in demand for science and engineering courses in the midst of the recession has come true in Ireland. Sean Flynn reports in today’s Irish Times that science is the big winner in the CAO applications, with a a 20% increase in demand for science courses. In the current economic climate, students are opting for science courses because of the perceived job security. It’s a trend that is likely to continue and we will see the points associated with this courses continue to rise over the coming years. While it is slightly disappointing that it takes a recession for attitudes to suddenly shift, the upside is that a number of programmes have been introduced at primary and second level to boost the interest of students in science and maths, which ultimately lead to better quality students emerging from the system. The knock-on effect of this and the increased competition for places is that Ireland will be producing graduates that will continue to attract multinationals to the country and lead to new companies who emerge from the smart economy. There is further analysis in the Irish Times on the same story.