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ATU MakerSpace bucks the trend of women in STEM
Atlantic Technological University MakerSpace, the initiative that is inspiring the next generation of students to embrace the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, has revealed that 46% of those who used the MakerSpace facility on its ATU Sligo campus over the past academic year were female.
Atlantic Technological University MakerSpace, the initiative that is inspiring the next generation of students to embrace the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, has revealed that 46% of those who used the MakerSpace facility on its ATU Sligo campus over the past academic year were female.
Funded by the Higher Education 4.0 Project under the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3, ATU MakerSpace is a pioneering initiative that fosters technology and creativity within ATU and beyond to inspire the next generation of students to embrace STEM as dynamic educational pathways and career opportunities.
Although there is also a MakerSpace based in the Engineering Department on ATU Galway’s Dublin Road campus – and another MakerSpace planned for ATU Donegal Letterkenny campus – the figures taken in Sligo were to explore what impact and reach the facility would have if positioned in a neutral space .
One of the challenges in Ireland, and globally, has been to change the narrative around females and the STEM subjects, with women often reluctant to embrace them due to biases, social norms and expectations.
Although there has been some movement on this in recent decades, UNESCO figures show that females continue to be under-represented in the STEM subjects – only 35% of STEM graduates are female, a figure that has remained unchanged in the last ten years.
However, it would seem that ATU MakerSpace, which officially opened on the Sligo campus in the Spring of 2024, has bucked this trend, as figures released show that 46% of those students who used the STEM facility over the 2024/25 academic year were female.
The most utilised piece of equipment in ATU MakerSpace was the 3D printer, which saw a 70:30 usage ratio of females over males from Interior Architecture & Design. Indeed, students from this subject area, more than any other, availed of ATU MakerSpace over the past academic year, accounting for 19% of overall usage
Commenting on the strong representation of female users at ATU’s state-of-the-art STEM facility, ATU President Orla Flynn said; “ATU MakerSpace is a great example of how inclusive, hands-on learning environments can challenge outdated norms in STEM. The strong participation of female students is really encouraging, and
shows what’s possible when creativity meets technology in a welcoming environment.”
It was a sentiment shared by Higher Education 4.0 Innovation Projects Manager Noel Mulkeen, who added: “This result has vindicated our original thesis that an open-door approach that welcomes all students from all faculties would impact these ratios, and I’m delighted that they have.
“In addition, we see students from a wide variety of courses utilise the services and equipment in MakerSpace, from Early Childhood Care to Fine Art to Mechatronics.”
Along with Early Childhood Care, Fine Art and Mechatronics, among the other top 10 courses to work on projects in ATU MakerSpace were Mechanical Engineering, Social Care, Social Sciences, and Robotics.
In all, 464 students availed of ATU MakerSpace between the beginning of November and end of May, which represents nearly 7% of the total on-campus student population in Sligo, while the Outreach programme for secondary schools, and visits from the likes of Youthreach and ETBs, also brought in additional visitors.
“Overall, these results offer a great opportunity for ATU to build on the success of MakerSpace,” said Noel Mulkeen. “Our objective now is to increase usage by ATU students, up to as high as 20%.”
For more on ATU MakerSpace, check out: https://atumakerspace.ie or https://highered4.ie
