Professor Richard Millar, Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Engineering at the University of Ulster, has welcomed the Northern Ireland Executive’s pledge to create more Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths undergraduate places.

The announcement was made by the Northern Ireland Executive as part of its £200 million economy and jobs initiative.

It also came aftersecondary school pupils attended the ‘Get Set into Engineering for Girls’ event this week at Ulster’s Jordanstown campus - one of a series of ten ‘Talks and Tours’ Insight events taking place before Christmas, targeting young people interested in studying engineering at degree level.

Organised by the Faulty of Computing and Engineering and some in association with Sentinus, the Insight events are aimed at post GCSE pupils and are central to Ulster’s commitment to promoting engineering as an attractive career option.

Professor Millar said: “This on-going commitment to promoting engineering comesat a time when firms are looking for high quality graduates from a range of engineering disciplines.

“We offer fully accredited core engineering courses, such as mechanical, electronic, mechatronic engineering and engineering management as well as niche engineering courses in biomedical engineering, clean technology, technology with design and sports technology.

“Most of our undergraduate engineering courses include an integral placement year which gives our students an advantage when looking for graduate employment. There are even opportunities to complete a year at one of two partner universities in Germany and obtain an additional diploma qualification. As a result, Ulster engineering graduates have excellent employment prospects,” he said.

According to Professor Millar, Ulster is already producing a large number of high quality engineers but even more graduate engineers are needed.

He continued: “The current economic climate, and a revived interest in STEM related subjects in schools and colleges, opens up a world of exciting career opportunities in engineering at home and abroad for our young people.

“Our immediatechallenge is to attract those offering maths and science related subjects into engineering,” said Professor Millar.

Accordingto Invest NI, one of the key employment growth sectors emerging in Northern Ireland is Renewables. In response to this growth, the Faculty of Computing and Engineering is introducing a new undergraduate course in Renewable Energy Engineering at Ulster’s Magee campus with a planned first intake of students in September 2013.

Most of theInsight events are already fully booked although some places are available for the Computational Finance and Mathematics event on Friday 30 November which would be interest to Year 13 and 14 pupils studying Maths.

If you wish to attend this event, or to be added to the invitation list for future computing and engineering events please contact Avril Fox directly by emaila.fox@ulster.ac.uk