Survey undertaken by Discover Science & Engineering in March 2012*. Where possible, results are compared to 2011 data. Given that the demographics of both samples differ, caution must be applied to interpreting these results.

* research conducted by Accuracy on behalf of Discover Science & Engineering

science, technology and engineering

Irish public attitudes

to careers in

what are Irish attitudes to science, technology

and engineering today?

“Accurate information is central to all decision making”

Main findings

attitudes to all careers appear

more favourable than in 2011

This may be explained in part by a ‘mood effect’

Main findings

science (74%) technology (70%)

engineering (81%) are viewed more favourably than

dentistry (64%)accountancy (47%)

Main findings

journalism (98%) medicine (92%)

law (85%) are viewed as most interesting, followed by

engineering (81%) teaching (81%)

science (74%)

Main findings

fewer women than men see a career in engineering as ‘interesting’

(77% v 83%)

Main findings

do you need

maths for these careers?

92% and 90% agree that careers in science and computing respectively require

a high understanding of mathematics

Main findings

are science and engineering graduates

important?83% agree that the production of high-quality

science and engineering graduates is very important to the recovery of the Irish economy

Fewer men (79%) hold this view than women (88%)

Main findings

Would you encourage a

school leaver to consider

a science career?

77% would encourage a school leaver to consider a career in science, technology and

engineering Only 68% of 18 to 24-year-olds say they would do so

Main findings

are scientists and engineers

well paid?90% and 79% say that scientists

and engineers respectively are well paid

Only 68% of 18 to 24-year-olds think engineers are well paid

Main findings

lab?Over 6 in 10 (63%) say scientists spend a lot of time 'stuck in the laboratory’

Those aged 18-24 (76%) and men (69%) are more likely to hold this view than women (55%)

stuck in a

Main findings

what are the

career opportunities?

61% say there are many career opportunities in Ireland for science and engineering

graduates

Only 48% of those aged 18-24 years share this view

Results in detail

Sample Breakdown

Gender Age Region

Male

Female

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

44%

56%

4%

20%

30%

33%

12%

5%

10%

24%

61%

18-24

25-34

35-49

50-64

65+

Dublin

ROL

Munster

Conn/Uls

Attitudes to Careers (Interesting v Boring)

20 61 9 8 1

25 60 8 7

30 51 8 11

48 50 3

51 41 4 3

Engineer

Lawyer

Teacher

Journalist

Medic/ Doctor

V.interesting Interesting Neither Boring V.boring

Mean Score

2011 2012

4.1

4.0

3.6

3.6

4.44.3

4.5

4

4

3.9

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

Attitudes to Careers (Interesting v Boring)

6 41 18 28 6

11 59 10 17 2

12 52 14 18 2

20 54 9 16 1

Accountant

Computer Science

Dentist

Scientist

V.interesting Interesting Neither Boring V.boring

3.8 3.8

2.9 3.5

3.3 3.6

2.5 3.1

Mean Score

2011 2012

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

Attitudes to Careers (All Interesting)

Interesting All(202)

Male(114)

Female(88)

*18-24 (25)

*25-34 (67)

*35-49(61)

Journalist 98% (+12)

98% 95% 92% 100% 97%

Medic 92% (-1) 94% 90% 76% 96% 97%

Law 85% (+19)

84% 85% 88% 81% 85%

Engineer 81% (+16)

83% 77% 60% 82% 87%

Teacher 81% (+1) 82% 80% 64% 75% 89%

Scientist 74% (+2) 75% 73% 64% 67% 84%

Computer Scientist 70% (+18)

71% 69% 64% 64% 74%

Dentist 64% (+33)

67% 63% 56% 64% 67%

Accountant 47% (+29)

51% 42% 20% 42% 57%

*Small sample size should be treated as indicative only

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

Attitudes to Careers (Agree v Disagree 1-5 with Statements)

18 61 14 7

19 44 29 8

25 67 52

25 58 13 4

30 60 7 3

37 53 7 3

Engineers are well paid

Scientists spend a lot of their time stuck in alaboratory

A career in science requires a high understandingof maths

Producing high quality Science & Engineeringgraduates is very important for the Irish economy

A career in Computers requires a highunderstanding of Maths

Scientists are well paid

Strongly agree Agree Neither/nor Disagree Disagree strongly

3.9 4.2

4.0

4.04.0

4.2

4.2 4.1

3.5 3.7

3.9 3.9

Mean Score

2011 2012

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

Attitudes to Careers (Agree v Disagree 1-5 with Statements)

7 16 34 39 3

15 62 15 7

16 61 11 11

18 43 21 17

There are few careeropportunities in Ireland

for Science andEngineering graduates

Producing high qualitylegal graduates is very

important to therecovery of the Irish

economy

I would encouragesomeone leaving schoolto consider a career in

Science, Technology andEngineering

There are currentlymany career

opportunities withinIreland for Science,

Engineering andTechnology graduates

Strongly agree Agree Neither/nor Disagree Disagree strongly

3.2 3.6

3.9 3.8

3.6

3.4

3.8

2.8

Mean Score

2011 2012

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

Attitudes to Careers (Agree)

Interesting All(202)

Male(114)

Female(88)

*18-24

(25)

*25-34 (67)

*35-49(61)

A career in Science requires a high understanding of Maths

92% 94% 91% 96% 93% 95%

A career in Computers requires a high understanding of Maths

90% 94% 83% 92% 87% 89%

Scientists are well paid 90% 89% 91% 96% 88% 90%

Producing high quality Science and Engineering graduates is very important to the recovery of the Irish economy

83% 79% 88% 76% 79% 87%

Engineers are well paid 79% 81% 76% 68% 90% 75%

I would encourage someone leaving school to consider a career in Science, Technology and Engineering

77% 77% 77% 68% 76% 79%

Producing high quality legal graduates is very important to the recovery of the Irish economy

77% 79% 75% 72% 76% 75%

Scientists spend a lot of their time stuck in a laboratory

63% 69% 55% 76% 69% 56%

There are currently many career opportunities within Ireland for Science, Engineering and Technology graduates

61% 63% 58% 48% 69% 64%

There are few career opportunities in Ireland for Science and Engineering graduates

23% 21% 26% 28% 16% 23%

*Small sample size should be treated as indicative only

{Base: n=202, All respondents}

We conducted the research via face-to-face surveys with 202 respondents

All surveys were conducted in Dublin city centre with members of the public

attending the 2012 St Patrick’s Festival on 18 March 2012

No sampling quotas were set, save that all respondents had to be currently living in

Ireland

Methodology

read more about careers in

science, technology, engineering

and mathsgo to MyScienceCareer.ie

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