Unlocking the potential of gender diversity
Last month, the CSO (Central Statistics Office) released statistics which revealed that more than four out of five (82.4pc) graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction were male in 2016. 79.3pc of graduates in information and communication te
Regina Moran, Vice President of Fujitsu EMEIA and Chair of THEA Council, onthe future of women in engineering & Raising the profile We profile female academics, researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators in STEM
“Back in my schooldays, the career advice was more focused on traditional career choices such as the civil service and banking,” says Moran, who originally comes from Clonmel in Co Tipperary. “However, Waterford Regional Technical College (now known as Waterford Institute of Technology) gave a talk on electronic engineering and it immediately captured my imagination.
“I didn’t have honours maths or physics because I wasn’t taught them in school (girls generally weren’t at the time) but I decided to give it a go and I haven’t looked back since.”
Moran, who also studied at Cork Institute of Technology, found it a struggle at the beginning. However, she soon became a hardware engineer, working for a small start-up. She subsequently joined Amdahl, a large computer manufacturer and was sent for training for two months to California. “I got to drive a Mustang convertible around San Francisco, so engineering can be cool!” she laughs.
LEADING THE WAY
As a chartered engineer, Moran has long been recognised as one of Ireland’s leading members in the field. In 2006, Moran became CEO of Fujitsu Ireland, a leading provider of IT products and services for the global marketplace. In 2015, she stepped up to run both the Ireland and UK offices. More recently, she has been working in a broader European level. Now, she is responsible for growth in industry verticals of Business and Applications Services across EMEIA within Fujitsu.
Moran has followed an impressive career path, but what is equally as impressive is her determination and passion for encouraging gender diversity in education and within the workplace.
“There is more knowledge about STEM subjects today, but still only about 20pc of participation in core STEM subjects are women. We have a long way to go. We need to engage with a diverse range of young people to enhance our pedigree in Ireland in STEM.
“When I was President of Engineers Ireland, I spent a lot of time encouraging young girls to open their minds to the possibility of STEM. There’s an image problem surrounding STEM. During last year’s Engineer’s Week, I visited a Gaelscoil and did some experiments. In every class, there was a balance of boys and girls, equally participating. It’s at each level that you need to encourage girls to get involved. We, the parents, guardians and educators, need to show them how exciting and diverse a career in STEM can be.”
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
Moran says there’s an additional bonus for studying STEM: “I’ve been able to travel all over the world because STEM is an international language. The concepts are the same, whereas other subjects are rooted in the legislation of a particular country. Young people can travel the world with this base qualification and then they can specialise in another field later on.
“The flexibility of STEM subjects is often overlooked. It gives a great starting point to branch out in a multitude of different areas. I’ve met some great women around Europe these past few years and they do wonderful work in all different fields. They may work in small, medium or large businesses, but the confidence they have comes from that base qualification.
“My own daughter started a science degree in University College Dublin, and the workload can be challenging, but the rewards are there.”
This May, Moran was also named Chair of THEA: “We aim to create a strong voice, shape the future of third level education and the future of the Institutes of Technology here in Ireland. At the centre of it all is the student, and our job is to ensure that our students succeed as much as possible.
“Nelson Mandela once said: ‘education can change the world’. Ireland has been at the forefront of understanding the importance of education to our economy and that education has to be inclusive. That’s what I experienced myself, that encouragement to achieve your qualification and go on contribute to the workforce and society.”