SETU’s fourth Women in Technology Event Set to Inspire
South East Technological University’s (SETU) fourth Women in Technology event, on Thursday, 21 March, is set to inspire and encourage all those who may be curious about a job in technology while providing information on pathways to get there through courses at SETU.
Proudly sponsored by Red Hat, the event at SETU Arena in Waterford aims to showcase the very best of women in technology, while empowering the next generation through a series of talks by top names and inspirational speakers.
Last year, SETU’s Women in Technology event attracted over 1,200 female students from Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Waterford, with this year’s event promising to be even bigger and better.
The event has some amazing guest speakers with inspirational stories to tell. Among them is travel blogger and entrepreneur Stephanie Barry-Woods. A Cork native, Stephanie quit her corporate job to travel the world and has amassed a huge online following through her social channels under the handle “stephmylife”. She has since established two successful businesses in travel and web development.
Irish International Athlete Olympian Phil Healy and Waterford teenager and entrepreneur Caoimhe O’Regan will also deliver captivating keynote addresses.
Phil, an ICT Graduate from SETU, works as a Software Engineer at Sun Life in Waterford when she is not competing on an international stage. Caoimhe, a fifth-year secondary school student, is very passionate about tech and has already started to build her CV with some very noteworthy experiences all while running her own baking business.
Attendees will also hear from Emily Watson, who is Head of Performance at Servier, Deborah Threadgold, General Manager of IBM Ireland, and Rachel Lawton, Senior Software Engineer at Red Hat.
In tandem with female keynote speakers, attendees can also attend workshops hosted by Microsoft & Unum. The event will have stands from some of the largest technological companies in the region, including Red Hat, Cartoon Saloon, Unum Ireland, Sunlife, and Kargo. All of whom will be available to interact with students.
This allows students to meet with and talk to women who have interesting and varied careers in technology, engineering, ICT, and software development. Women who are changing the face of technology and society. There will also be a designated room in the venue for teachers and parents to chat with people in the industry where they can have their questions answered and learn more about the opportunities and career paths available.
Commenting in advance of the event, Lea-Anne Gaffney – Technical Project Manager, Red Hat said, “Red Hat is very aware of the diversity and gender imbalance in the tech industry, especially in technical roles, and we put a lot of work and effort into trying to improve this. We believe that by making the younger generation more aware of the opportunities in the tech industry and trying to break the stereotypes, we will inspire more females to consider a role in this industry.
“That is why we put our time into events like the SETU Women in Tech event so that we get the opportunity to speak to the students and have them listen to inspiring women who work in the industry with the hope that it will inspire them to consider a career in tech as an option.”
Ms Gaffney continued by saying, “It is time now to focus on the next generation of female talent in order to make gender equality in technology a reality. Solving this issue will have real-world consequences for the future of society and the world.”
For more information or to book your place at this year’s event see www.setu.ie/events/women-in-technology-2024
