Sustained funding will be ‘vital’ to continue Midlands STEM success

Westmeath County Council’s STEM engagement officer, Kelley Keogh, has outlined how a regional science and technology initiative is transforming education and skills development across the midlands, and how local support will be vital to sustain its momentum beyond next spring, when the programme’s main funding source (Just Transition) comes to an end.

Addressing the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District November meeting, Ms Keogh detailed the work of the Midlands STEM team, a four-county collaboration of Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Longford that is helping to raise digital literacy, inspire young people to pursue careers in technology and engineering, and bridge the gap between education, industry and community life.

“Our main priority is the economic development of the region, but also community engagement,” she explained. “There are four broadband officers and four STEM officers across the four counties, and we work together to improve digital skills and encourage young people to take on ICT as a career in the hopes of creating more ICT employment and filling the gaps of the roles that are in the sector in the midlands at the moment, and also to encourage our young people to take on engineering and technology as a career option as well.”

The initiative began in 2018 under Offaly County Council with support from the Dept of Rural and Community Development, expanding the following year with backing from local authorities and development companies. In 2021, funding from the National Just Transition Fund took the project to its current phase, and the EU Just Transition Fund now supports STEM engagement officers in each of the four counties.

“I joined Westmeath County Council as the last of the four officers in January this year,” said Ms Keogh.

She said the success of the programme has come through what she termed “a triple helix approach” – collaboration among local industry, education and government. Partner companies include Ericsson, Microsoft and GlobalLogic in Athlone, working alongside regional universities, ETBs and local authorities.

Hands-on

Through coding workshops, robotics programs, and science demonstrations, the Midlands STEM team engage thousands of students each year. “We do Scratch coding, microbit and Python workshops, and science activities like pop rockets and physics experiments,” Ms Keogh said. “You might have seen our VEX Robotics displays at the Ploughing Championships, the Tullamore and Moate Shows.”

Across the region, the programme is now active in 240 primary and 45 post-primary schools, and has reached 77% of primary schools and 71% of post-primary schools to date.

The gender balance is shifting. “It’s really positive to see more girls taking part,” Ms Keogh said. A key element of the initiative is the STEM Passport for Inclusion, created with Maynooth University, Microsoft, and Science Foundation Ireland. Initially focused on DEIS schools and girls, the Level 6 certification programme now includes boys and offers students 50 bonus CAO points on STEM-related degrees at partner institutes. “It’s about keeping students in education and helping them progress to third level,” Ms Keogh explained.

Another effort is the Dream Big programme, led by the Eastern Cluster, which helps students visit midlands-based tech companies and explore real-world STEM roles. “Children are really enjoying it,” Keogh said. “We now have local robotics competitions running – the first in Westmeath was held last year at Loreto College, and another will take place in St Finian’s in December.”

Digital access

Beyond schools, the STEM officers are targeting community engagement through activities such as training on AI and workshops in public libraries, age-friendly groups, men’s and women’s sheds and IPA centres. “So it’s all about keeping everybody in the loop about what’s happening on the digital side and making sure everybody’s just aware,” Ms Keogh stated.

“Since the Just Transition Fund began, we’ve pushed about €600,000 worth of equipment into midlands schools,” Ms Keogh told members. “We want to be able to help the schools to roll out that equipment now and make use of it and we also want to support the teachers. We think just by having us there – somebody to lean on and to ask questions of – is a useful thing for teachers, and that we’re there as a good support to them.”

She also noted recent recognition for the programme, including nominations for Ireland’s Chambers Awards and the EU-level Innovation and Politics Award, where the Midlands STEM team was the only Irish finalist in the education category.

Looking to the future, the next phase of the project will introduce drone technology and the H2GP hydrogen car competition, adding a green economy focus to its STEM work. “There’s a strong push at European level on the twin transition – green and digital – and we’re proud that the midlands is ahead of the curve,” Keogh said.

She warned, however, that current EU funding is due to end in March 2026. “We have all the equipment we need to continue the workshops, but sustained funding will be vital to keep STEM engagement officers in place.”

Connecting

Councillors welcomed the presentation and praised the scale of activity. Cllr Denis Leonard said the work was helping to change long-standing cultural barriers and encouraging women to consider apprenticeships and careers on STEM: “70% of the parents in this country want their children to go to university but only 40% actually need a university degree to do what they are going to do, so I think we need to be looking at more what you’re talking about the FETAC level five and six you know apprenticeship training and encouraging more people maybe to go to FET programmes,” he said.

He pointed out that some years back, it had been suggested that St Peter’s in Castlepollard would have been ideal for use as an apprenticeship centre: “Why shouldn’t this end of the county have a proper training centre that promotes STEM and robotics?” he asked

Cllr Aoife Davitt said the programmes were already changing how families choose schools. “When I saw the VEX Robotics competition, from tiny two-teacher schools to the largest, it was incredible,” she said. “Children are looking up to older students and saying ‘this is what I want to do’.” It is vital that the team reaches DEIS schools and ensures libraries have equipment for children who may not have access at home, she added.

Cllr Niall Gaffney praised the “energy and clarity” of the STEM projects, noting their importance for innovation and inclusion. “It’s brilliant to see how the gender balance is improving and that you’re reaching out to the wider community, including people reskilling or returning to education,” he said.

Questions

Responding to questions, Ms Keogh said the programme was designed to integrate STEM across multiple subjects and stages. “We’re broadening beyond computer science – hydrogen car projects connect to science, while robotics builds engineering skills,” she said. “Companies like Robotics and Drives and the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre are already supporting competitions and 3D printing events, and we’re eager to get more local firms involved.”

She highlighted the value of representation. “Half our Midlands STEM team are women, and that visibility matters. It’s the old adage – if you can see it, you can be it. I worked 20 years as a software engineer before this role, and we try to bring that real-world experience to students.”

Inclusivity remains a cornerstone of the effort. “We’re seeing neurodiverse students really thrive through robotics,” she said. “For children who aren’t into sport, it gives them a chance to represent their school, be part of a team, and shine in something they love.”

Ms Keogh concluded by stressing that progress in the midlands had already caught attention at EU level. “At the Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels, there was a huge focus on the twin transition – green and digital – and we’re ahead of the curve here,” she said. “It’s something the midlands should be proud of, and something worth sustaining.”