Jim Shannon
Main Page: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)(1 day, 18 hours ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I want to say a big thank you to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Lizzi Collinge) for leading the debate. In the short time that she has been here, she has shown herself to be formidable, dedicated and committed. I want to say well done for her excellent speech on this subject—we all enjoyed that.
It is a real pleasure to see the Minister in her place. I do not know about double-jobbing; I think she was a Whip the last time I saw her. I do not know whether she has been elevated or is doing both jobs, but I wish her well.
I will very quickly give a Northern Ireland perspective. I remind everyone that we are all part of this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—better together. Because of that, we share ideas about what we do back home and what we do over here, and hopefully we can all learn.
In Northern Ireland in 2021, 59% of students who gained qualifications in the narrow STEM subjects of engineering, technology and computing were male, and 41% were female, so the differential was not too high, but the Department for the Economy has identified other gaps, specifically in engineering and computer science, so there is more to do. Women are often under-represented in many STEM workforce roles—especially technical roles—in Northern Ireland. There are many initiatives in Northern Ireland, some of which have been set up to support women in gaining skills and unlock access to the sector. Organisations such as WOMEN’STEC and the WE Bridge programme at Ulster University provide training and personal development for non-traditional careers, especially in sectors such as construction and IT. Those are not alien to ladies, and they can do those jobs too, so we want to encourage those initiatives.
Careers advice in schools—especially in sixth form—is important. I often hear of younger ones saying that they remember being clear about their options. Their careers advisers in schools from certain employments really helped them to get a steer on the kind of industry that they wanted to be involved in. Back in 2017, I gave a young girl work experience in my office, and she is now a member of my staff. She had the social skills and what was needed to move forward.
If we do not have more female role models in STEM subjects, it is harder for younger women to believe that those pathways are accessible to them. It is all about breaking barriers and providing opportunities at a young age to ensure that progression is possible. It is important that we bring forward encouraging news from all our constituencies.
I will keep exactly to your three minutes, Ms Furniss, so I will conclude with this. We cannot overlook any section of our society, for the future of our economy and the workforce. I believe that we have world-class potential across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; if we want to stay competitive and creative, we must ensure that the opportunities to succeed are open to everyone. I believe that they are in Northern Ireland, and that they can be here too.