Murex proudly supports Teen-Turn to address the shortage of women in fintech in Ireland

DUBLIN, 12 August 2019 — As Murex proudly collaborates with Teen-Turn for the fourth consecutive year to increase the numbers of women in STEM, Laura Murphy, Head of Operations and Administration at Murex, discusses the positive impacts of the scheme and the importance of addressing the gender imbalance in the field.

We are very proud to be one of the first companies in Ireland to support Teen-Turn and to do our bit to address the shortage of females in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). The year 2016 marked the launch of Teen Turn, an Irish Government driven pilot initiative to inspire young women to engage with careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. Murex was one of first five companies who volunteered to tackle this issue. The programme targets students in mid -secondary school, before they begin making their final subject choices that determine their course of third-level study and, eventually, their first career. Murex has been a proud partner of Teen-Turn since its inception.

At Murex, whenever the opportunity arises to collaborate with extraordinary people who are passionate about all things STEM, we grab it with both hands. Opportunities in STEM careers are on the up as our digital age has driven a greater reliance on technological skills, analytical thinking and decision-making across most, if not all, sectors.

We are all aware there is a huge demand for tech talent in Ireland and Murex operates in an agile, collaborative environment where diversity is key to maintaining our financial and technical expertise to service our clients. Unfortunately, we are conscious that a gender imbalance in these roles is expected to continue unless direct action is taken. STEM pipeline issues really come to the forefront at third level, when many young women often drop out of these traditionally male-dominated courses. With this in mind, Murex as an employer is very keen to push the gender boundaries - always engaging and encouraging girls to embrace STEM as a career choice.

Joanne Dolan, CEO of Teen-Turn commented on the importance of Murex’s involvement:

"Murex joined our programme when we were piloting our intervention model. Now established, and in our fourth year together, we can see the impact Murex has had on the girls who had the benefit of spending their work experience with the team there. Already, we can report that these particular beneficiaries have shown increased confidence in their abilities, improved school performance and enthusiasm towards technology subjects, and progression to Leaving Certifcate and even third level STEM courses. Murex's contribution demonstrates clearly that providing hands-on experience to girls from underrepresented communities influences course decision making and inspires future career paths."

Teen-Turn’s pilot scheme involves five schools, all of them are designated to have students at a social or economic disadvantage, that can sometimes risk impacting their education. The educational disadvantage at these schools is addressed in the Government’s Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools action plan towards greater social inclusion. Murex provides an opportunity for two teen girls to come in and shadow a Financial/IT female role model. This initiative further raised awareness to the fact that there is definitely an untapped resource of women in Fintech. We see this programme as a win- win; as we benefit by showcasing our own female role models and their skills in mentoring the teens.

The mid-term impact of this pilot programme, as mentioned by CEO Joanne Dolan, is beginning to be revealed. Murex will continue to ensure these young teens are encouraged by programmes such as Teen Turn to consider STEM as they move on to higher education.

The shortage of women in fintech is a critical issue in the industry but it’s also a big opportunity to embrace. The Teen-Turn scheme is playing a paramount role in addressing the shortage of female leaders in STEM and Murex is, once again, exceedingly proud to support the initiative.