Case Study
Hays Ireland and Teen-Turn
June 20, 2019
The Teen-Turn programme, provides teen girls with the opportunity to spend two weeks, during the summer, on work placements in a technology environment with Irish based companies.
Hays Ireland supports Teen-Turn in engaging with prospective organisations to act as host companies on the Teen-Turn Programme. To date we have facilitated over 150 placements
Teen-Turn’s founders have extensive experience in encouraging young women into areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).
Joanne Dolan is a Start-up Consultant, Creator and former Program Leader with the Girls Hack Ireland initiative and a Coder Girl Hack Day Organizer. Niambh Scullion is a Senior Business Analyst at IBM and founder of Coderdojo Girls, a coding workshop for girls, which is part of the international Coderdojo movement.
By focusing on girls, the Teen-Turn founders hope to influence course decision-making processes and inform its young participants on education and career options.
As learning in the presence of female role models has been shown to impact girls’ self-image and confidence–encouraging them to see themselves in new ways and stimulate new interests– each teen will be matched with a female mentor, who is employed with the company, and the work will include participating in a real technology project.
The aim of the programme is to place teen girls into “Teen-Turnships” so that they can picture themselves in those kinds of careers and therefore make third level course choices accordingly. More girls exploring and gaining an interest in technology will lead to more women earning technology qualifications, thus meeting a demand for skills that is currently outpacing supply.
Teen-Turn works with DEIS and similar schools to identify participants with academic promise who will benefit from the opportunity but are from traditionally disadvantaged communities where third level education is uncommon.
Co-founder Niambh Scullion, explains:
“Access to internships and the tech industry does elude school going girls. In order for young girls to identify themselves with tech and visualise themselves working in the industry they need access to female role models. We want to change this with Teen-Turn. Teen-Turn will give girls from areas where entry to third level education is low the opportunity to experience the positive influence of a work placement that can shape their third level choices.”
The programme was first launched in the Summer of 2016, with Teen-Turnships at top companies for whom workplace diversity and inclusion are important.
Hays Ireland supports Teen-Turn in several ways, these include:
- Engaging with businesses to promote teen turn to provide summer internships for participants. We are very proud to have supported over 150 placements to date
- Attending industry events to promote teen turn and their programmes
- Providing free space for activities including board meetings, networking, after school activities and company events
- Providing marketing and social media expertise to teen turn
“I finally feel like I’m being seen, just spending time with all these amazing people who really get me.” — Teen-Turn Alumna”
If you would like to know more, please go to www.hays.ie/teen-turn/the-programme
