Tag: inclusion

Vision Ireland and Benetech Join Forces to Launch EU-Compliant Global Certified Accessible Certification

Today, Vision Ireland and Benetech announced a collaboration to launch a groundbreaking partnership to provide the Global Certified Accessible (GCA) certification program for European Union (EU) publishers.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in ensuring digital accessibility and compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) for eBooks across the European Union. By combining Vision Ireland’s deep expertise in EU accessibility standards with Benetech’s leadership in digital inclusion, the partnership streamlines the certification process, providing publishers with a globally recognized, EU-compliant credential. With certification from an EU-based organization, publishers gain enhanced credibility and assurance that their content meets the highest accessibility standards for European readers. “This partnership is a major step forward for digital accessibility across the European Union,” said Ayan Kishore, CEO of Benetech. “As the first independent third-party digital accessibility certification, Benetech’s GCA certification helps publishers meet global standards.

With over 80 organizations already benefiting from our services, including Elsevir, Taylor & Francis, and McGraw Hill, we are proud to drive the global movement toward more inclusive digital content.” The certification process involves a thorough review of eBooks to ensure they meet the highest accessibility standards, including the EPUB Accessibility 1.1 specification and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA.

Chris White, CEO of Vision Ireland: “Ensuring accessibility in digital publishing is not just a compliance requirement, it’s a fundamental step toward equality. Vision Ireland is proud to collaborate with Benetech to support EU publishers in meeting the highest accessibility standards. This partnership reinforces our commitment to breaking down barriers and making digital content truly inclusive for all readers, particularly those who are blind or vision impaired.”

Lina Kouzi, Head of Library Access Service at Vision Ireland: “Accessible publishing is the gateway to equal participation in education, employment, and everyday life. By working with Benetech to deliver Global Certified Accessible certification for EU publishers, we are ensuring that digital content is designed for everyone from the outset. This initiative will be transformative in fostering a more inclusive reading experience across Europe.”

Aaron Mullaniff, Chief Services Officer at Vision Ireland: “Vision Ireland is thrilled to partner with Benetech to drive digital accessibility forward across the entire EU,. This collaboration will accelerate the adoption of accessible publishing practices, ensuring that inclusive digital content becomes the standard for readers across Europe.”

Publishers seeking the EU-compliant GCA certification can contact Vision Ireland for details on the certification process, requirements, and benefits. Together, Vision Ireland and Benetech are fostering a more inclusive digital landscape for all readers in Europe.

Irish Girl Guides and Vodafone Foundation tackle digital exclusion for older adults

On the occasion of World Social Justice Day, Irish Girl Guides want to highlight that social inclusion extends to older adults, a group often overlooked in society. In a world where digital connectivity is essential, Irish Girl Guides is tackling this challenge head-on with the Hi Digital Programme in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation.

Since 2023, Irish Girl Guides has trained over 3 500 older adults across Ireland, helping them navigate the digital world with confidence and security. Through the Hi Digital Programme, 50 Irish Girl Guides Units have been trained as Digital Champions. Guides, Senior Branch members, and Leaders dedicate their time to teaching older adults how to access online services, stay connected with loved ones, and protect themselves from scams and fraud.

The programme fosters intergenerational learning, breaking down barriers and strengthening social ties between younger and older generations. This initiative takes on social exclusion by empowering older adults, reducing isolation, and providing a sense of connection in an increasingly digital world.

Jessica Woods, Leader from Cuchulain Guides Unit and Chair of the Irish Girl Guides Communications Committee, said: “Our Unit ran an event, and a Guide was able to teach a Grandmother how to record and send voice notes on WhatsApp. She ‘tested it’ by sending a message to her granddaughter in Australia. A few minutes later she received a reply and she said it was like getting a ‘virtual hug’. Hi Digital can help open the world to an older person.”

 

To have a better idea of the programme, watch these two videos:

More Vodafone news

For more information about Hi Digital, visit: Welcome to Hi Digital

Breaking Barriers in STEM: Over 5,000 Students Benefit from Inclusion Initiative

Today, Maynooth University, in partnership with Microsoft Ireland, Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and the Department of Education, has published the STEM Passport for Inclusion Impact Report which reveals that over 5,000 students from disadvantaged backgrounds have participated in the initiative to date. Notably, 76% of these students are now considering a career in STEM.

The All-Ireland STEM Passport for Inclusion programme is a joint initiative by Maynooth University, Microsoft Ireland, Research Ireland and the Department of Education that addresses inequalities with access to STEM careers among post-primary school students in socially disadvantaged communities. Initially developed as a pilot in 2021, the programme was expanded nationwide in December 2023.

The programme’s innovative approach, which combines a recognised qualification (Level 6 NFQ), education supports, and mentoring from industry role models, provides a unique pathway for female students to progress to third level education and achieve a STEM qualification.

Since its launch, over 5,370 female students from DEIS schools in all four provinces have been engaged, with 50% of participants from rural areas. As part of the programme 1,100 industry mentors have delivered 2,524 mentoring hours. The outcome has been that students from 117 DEIS schools have been empowered to graduate with a university accredited STEM qualification while still in post-primary school.

A survey of programme participants revealed that STEM Passport for Inclusion has positively changed students’ view of STEM with 79% now considering applying to study STEM at third level while 76% are considering a career in STEM.

The programme has also increased students’ knowledge of, and familiarity with, STEM. Only 45% of students reported knowing what STEM was before participating in the programme. This increased to 95% once students completed the programme.

This has helped to reduce the STEM confidence gap between girls in DEIS and non-DEIS schools. Previously, only 3 in 10 girls from DEIS schools were confident they could study STEM in the future while close to 6 in 10 girls from non-DEIS were confident. Once girls took part in STEM Passport for Inclusion, the STEM confidence gap between girls in DEIS and non-DEIS schools was all but eliminated.

While the report details the significant impact of the programme to date, it also includes several informed recommendations to further STEM engagement and the impact of the programme across Ireland.

STEM Impact Recommendations

  • Expand the Programme Across All DEIS Schools: Secure funding to implement the programme in every DEIS school in Ireland – ensure nationwide access to STEM education for disadvantaged students.
  • Provide Necessary Resources to DEIS Schools: Many schools lacked the resources to fully participate in the programme. Supplying these institutions with loaned technology, mobile lab kits, and internet support would help bridge this resource gap.
  • Introduce Funded STEM Work Experience Programmes: Partner with industry to provide work experiences to enhance real-world learning and skill development. This initiative would be particularly valuable for DEIS students, who often lack exposure to STEM career pathways.
  • Fund Longitudinal Research on Programme Impact: Invest in further comprehensive research so stakeholders can gain insights into long-term outcomes, enabling data-driven improvements and enhancing the programme’s sustainability.

The National Skills Strategy identified a need to increase STEM participation to develop the talent and skills that are needed for the future of work. Despite female students accounting for more than half of third-level students, they only make up 35% of STEM students. Moreover, fewer than one in ten graduates in STEM fields are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. STEM Passport for Inclusion seeks to address this by ensuring that every student, regardless of background, leaves school STEM prepared.

Speaking about her involvement in the initiative and the success of the programme so far, Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan, Digital Skills Lecturer at Maynooth University, said: “The publication of today’s report represents a milestone in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. Since its establishment, I have been lucky to see girls complete the programme with a renewed outlook on their potential and their thoughts about themselves have been transformed by the STEM Passport for Inclusion.

“When building out this initiative, we at Maynooth University set out to develop an evidence based, system solution, to address the underrepresentation of diverse women and girls in STEM. The success of the programme is evidenced by the roll out of the programme to over 5000 girls so far.

“We have been fortunate to receive support from our partners at Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland throughout this journey. Looking forward, we are excited to work alongside third level colleagues around Ireland as the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s reach expands. With the support of philanthropy and our partners, we are expanding the project from 2025-2027, furthering the program’s positive impact.”

Microsoft is the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s lead industry partner, having contributed €600,000 in match funding to date. In addition, Microsoft’s Dream Space education team co-designed the Level 6-accredited (NFQ) STEM Passport module and has supported the delivery of the STEM Passport curriculum to participating students in Dream Space venues in both Dublin and Belfast. More than 300 of Microsoft’s employees are actively supporting the STEM Passport for Inclusion mentoring programme, alongside other educators and representatives from over 180 private and public sector organisations.

Speaking about Microsoft Ireland’s role in the initiative, James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “Microsoft Ireland has been involved in STEM Passport for Inclusion since its inception three years ago and we’re extremely proud of the role that the Microsoft Dream Space team has played in the co-design and delivery of the programme. In recent years, mass digitalisation and the era of AI have transformed professional expectations and elevated the importance of the next generation engaging in STEM and AI and pursuing a career in the technology sector.

“At Microsoft, we are passionate about ensuring that every young person, irrespective of their background, has the opportunity to engage in STEM and advancements in technology. STEM Passport for Inclusion does just that. 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. We’re proud of the impact the initiative has had to date and look forward to working with the team at Maynooth University to continue to drive it forward and reach even more students.”

The project is co-funded by Microsoft Ireland and Research Ireland, the new national competitive research and innovation funding agency and the Department of Education. Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland welcomed the report, saying: “We are delighted to continue our support of this wonderfully successful initiative through our Discover Programme. Research Ireland is committed to empowering women from all backgrounds to access vital routes to STEM careers. I’m so excited to see how these students will contribute and thrive as STEM professionals in the future.”

STEM Passport for Inclusion graduate, Ava Kenny is now a third-year science student at Maynooth University. Commenting on her participation in the programme, Ava said: “Before taking part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion I was unsure if I wanted to pursue a college education, let alone pursue a career in STEM. The realm of science seemed distant and unfamiliar to me, and I didn’t know of anyone working in STEM. From my first day in the programme, I was captivated by the many doors a career in STEM could open for me.

“The STEM Passport for Inclusion guided my path into third level education as I am now studying science at Maynooth University. As I move on to the next stage of my life, I am excited about the prospect of a career in STEM and I know that the lessons I learned throughout the programme will stand to me.”

More details on the programme can be found at: STEM Passport for Inclusion | Maynooth University.

New tool to help organisations track progress on diversity and inclusion in workplaces launches

Organisations across Ireland have shown improvements of up to 10 per cent in fostering diverse and inclusive workplace cultures in the last two years, with the public sector making the most progress, showing an average sector improvement of 9.4 per cent. However, organisations need to do more to improve their workplaces for certain groups, including disabled people; people of different race, colour, nationality, ethnicity or ethnic origin; and people of different ages.*

That’s according to a new Inclusion Score metric that quantifies the sense of belonging and culture of inclusion within an organisation being launched today (17.07.24) by the Irish Centre for Diversity, a nationwide body, headquartered in Waterford, that works with public and private organisations in Ireland to help them embed diverse and inclusive workplace cultures.

An organisation’s Inclusion Score is calculated based on diversity and inclusion (D&I) benchmarking data gathered by the Irish Centre for Diversity.  The details have been compiled from more than 130 organisations across Ireland that between them employ more than 120,000 people across both the public and private sectors. The data is updated every 12 months.

According to latest findings from the Irish Centre for Diversity, the national average Inclusion Score is 78 per cent, with the insurance sector having the highest average of 81.7 per cent. Other sectors showing high Inclusion Scores include IT and technology with 80.8 per cent, and construction and engineering with an average of 79.5 per cent. The average Inclusion Score for the public sector is 71.1 per cent.

The latest findings also reveal the top three groups that workers think their organisation needs to focus further on as being disabled people (17.8 per cent); people of different race, colour, nationality, ethnicity or ethnic origin (16.1 per cent); and people of different ages (11.3 per cent).

The Inclusion Score enables organisations to compare their D&I performance both at a national level and against peers in similar sectors, such as the public sector, professional services, construction and engineering, and insurance and finance, among others. It also gives them the opportunity to monitor their own D&I performance and progress, providing data and insights to report to governing boards, for corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD) needs, and for sharing with other stakeholders.

Tracking and Improving D&I Progress

To track and improve an organisation’s D&I progress, the Irish Centre for Diversity delivers an initial survey followed by an action plan with recommendations for improvements. A second survey is conducted 24 months later to monitor progress, with Irish Centre for Diversity records showing 100 per cent of organisations improving.

Improvement pathways can include D&I training, and according to the D&I benchmarking data, the top requested trainings over the last two years are mental health, promoting good mental health at work, unconscious bias and inclusive leadership.

The latest findings from the benchmarking data show that the number of staff who have attended D&I training has increased by 6.2 per cent in the last two years, from 55.9 per cent to 62.1 per cent.

A further finding from the latest research shows that 85 per cent of workers believe that colleagues take D&I seriously in the way that they behave and the things that they say, with line managers scoring 83.8 per cent and senior managers 71.5 per cent. It also shows that 91.5 per cent of people think those they work with are accepting of other people whatever their background.

Announcing the official launch of the Inclusion Score today, managing director of the Irish Centre for Diversity, Caroline Cummins, said: “We are in a unique position working with hundreds of companies across all sectors, and collecting data that covers both diversity of staff and the culture of Irish workplaces. Having such comprehensive and robust data on workplace diversity and inclusion culture in Ireland allows the Inclusion Scores to provide meaningful benchmarks and roadmaps to progress D&I in Ireland. The data shows valuable advances when steps are taken to address workplace challenges ─ what gets measured gets done, and we have the data that is fundamental to support this progress.

“We are seeing huge leaps in creating and fostering inclusive workplace cultures and evidence of this is that 100 per cent of organisations that we re-survey are shown to have improved Inclusion Scores by up to 10 per cent.”

For more information about the Inclusion Score, the national D&I benchmarking research data, and how the Irish Centre for Diversity can help organisations drive progress in this area, visit www.irishcentrefordiversity.ie/national-benchmarking/.

Lucan Community College takes part in ‘STEM Passport for Inclusion Programme’ designed to unlock new career pathways in STEM

Students from Lucan Community College recently took part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, a unique STEM education and mentoring initiative that aims to provide 5,000 young women from underserved communities with equal opportunities to access STEM education and unlock new career pathways in the digital economy.

Transition year students from Lucan Community College travelled to Microsoft’s campus in Leopardstown in recent weeks for an accelerated version of the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme delivered by the Microsoft Dream Space team.

The STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, developed by Maynooth University in collaboration with Microsoft Ireland, was created to help break down barriers and increase the number of girls from underserved communities entering STEM related careers. A study by Maynooth University indicates that 16% of female pupils from socially disadvantaged areas were not studying a science subject at Higher Level Leaving Certificate.

Microsoft’s Dream Space team has played an instrumental role in the co-design and delivery of the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. As part of this, the team worked with participating universities to co-develop the Level 6 (NFQ) accredited module, which participating students can complete, equipping them with the knowledge, experience, and additional matriculation support (including extra CAO points) to help them follow a pathway to a third level STEM degree.

Established in 2021, the programme has engaged over 1,250 students to date from schools right across the country. Over the next three years, Microsoft and Maynooth University are ambitious about the reach of the initiative and hope to engage up to 5,000 TY students, with Science Foundation Ireland and the Department of Education providing €600k in funding through the Discover programme and Microsoft a further €600k.

As part of the initiative, Lucan Community College students engaged in three sessions at Microsoft Dream Space and had the opportunity to learn subjects such as coding, engineering and mathematics. In addition, the students participated in the mentoring part of the programme meeting women working across all areas of STEM to learn more about their careers and what their jobs involved. The mentoring element is supported by a number of industry partners including Microsoft, Accenture, RDI Hub, Prodigy Learning, Munster Technological University, Teen Turn and Mercy Inchicore.

Speaking about the students’ experience, Audrey Byrne, Teacher at Lucan Community College, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity for our students to take part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. It is a really engaging and interactive programme which inspired many of the girls that took part. Students really enjoyed visiting Microsoft Dream Space and the company’s building in Leopardstown where they met with women who work in STEM and see first-hand the doors that can be unlocked by considering a course and career in technology. I’d encourage schools across Dublin to take part so that every student has the opportunity to engage in STEM learning.” 

Chloe Bonete, Lucan Community College student and STEM Passport for Inclusion participant, said: “It was an amazing opportunity that I’m glad we could all partake in. Everyone was very welcoming, and we all came out of the experience confident with what we had learned.”

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President of Microsoft Global Operations Service Center said: “At Microsoft, we’re deeply committed to helping young people to engage in STEM learning and shift their perceptions about the role technology can play in their future career choices. As the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s lead industry partner, Microsoft Ireland wants to help create new pathways for girls in STEM so that students from Lucan Community College and other schools across the country can play an active role in shaping our digital world.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the students from Lucan Community College who took part in the programme and who will be graduating in the autumn. Through our Microsoft Dream Space team and our network of mentors, we look forward to expanding the programme and working with Maynooth University to empower 5,000 Transition Year girls from underserved communities to gain a Level 6 STEM qualification.”

Katriona O’Sullivan, Principal Investigator of the STEM Passport for Inclusion and Senior Lecturer at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute said: “Congratulations to all the girls at Lucan Community College who recently completed STEM Passport for Inclusion. The programme aims to ensure that every girl, irrespective of class or condition, will graduate from school with a STEM qualification, having met a woman in STEM who can inspire and support them. Through the support of Microsoft, Science Foundation Ireland, and the Department of Education, we’re aiming to reach out to over 5,000 students in 180 DEIS schools in Dublin and across the country. We will provide these girls with a university experience, an industry mentor and new pathways to college and careers in STEM.”

For more details on STEM Passport for Inclusion Programme go to https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/all-institute/all-projects/stem-passport-inclusion.