Over 5,000 female students have been helped by a scheme to get more students from disadvantaged communities taking up STEM subjects.

The All-Ireland STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, which aims to boost numbers studying Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths, has been running for three years.

It is a joint initiative by Maynooth University, Microsoft Ireland, Research Ireland and the Department of Education.

The course, which is aimed at students from DEIS schools, includes a recognised qualification, education supports and mentoring from industry role models.

Now a recent update into its impact has revealed over 5,370 female students from DEIS schools in all four provinces have taken part in the programme.

Three quarters of the students say as a result they are considering a career in a STEM course.

"Since its establishment, I have been lucky to see girls complete the programme with a renewed outlook on their potential, their thoughts about themselves have been transformed by the STEM Passport for Inclusion," said Dr Katriona O'Sullivan, Digital Skills Lecturer at Maynooth University.

Microsoft said their involvement in the initiative had been "extremely rewarding".

"Our involvement in the programme, both from a delivery and mentorship perspective, has been extremely rewarding and has allowed us to open our doors to students who traditionally would not have pursued STEM careers," said James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre.

The project is co-funded by Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland, the new national competitive research and innovation funding agency as well as the Department of Education.

"Research Ireland is committed to empowering women from all backgrounds to access vital routes to STEM careers," said Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland.

Photo at top: (L-R) Ava Slevin Buckley, Joanne Morrissey, Louise Stanley, Dr Katriona O'Sullivan and Cliondha Brannigan