Choosing IT, but then finding it "financially impossible to escape" sounds like a case of not following your passion, which is also not ideal. I think there are so many great research areas out there that are both in high demand and are fascinating to be working in. With STEAM ahead events, I hope girls can get exposure to many possibilities and end up choosing the right thing for them.

It does cover all of these fields, but not all research subjects that one may choose to specialise in, even if they fall into Science or Tech, are in demand.

Hi JC, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience, but I think we shouldn't generalise here. STEAM stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths", it does not stand for "a PhD in a subfield of Science that's hard to get a job in, in NZ". Everybody should think carefully about what the future is bringing in terms of technological advances. What kind of jobs will still be around in 10-50 years? It's hard to predict this of course, but there is some research out there.

I think, the key is to combine one's passions with what will be useful to society long term, what skills will be in demand. These skills most definitely lie in specific subfields of STEMS and their combination.

For those interested what happens to Computer Science post-graduates, here are the results of the survey I ran 2 years ago: http://www.medelyan.com/survey

* Majority of graduates found the job while still enrolled or within the first 3 months after graduating (slide 12)
* Most earn between 70 and 100K or more (slide 22)
* Both Academics and Industry are just as happy with their job (slide 26)
* People with a Masters rather than a PhD are more happy than others (35% like their job a lot). Changing the job helps find happiness. (slide 27)

I'd also like to see the complete survey, but I couldn't find it so far.
If anybody comes across it, please share here.

Hi Rich, I believe there may be a different problem here: NZ companies look out for people who have at least some work experience, but many students don't strive to gain such experience while studying. Internships are super important, and I would recommend students to write to companies and seek out ways to improve their practical skills and make contacts. Many students take on summer jobs that have no relation to what they are studying. That's what leads to difficulties in finding a job later, once they graduate.

Hi Tamara,
Thanks for your comment!
The age group isn't set in stone. If you and your daughters would enjoy such an event, please come along. It's free!
Routine could be hard, but if you just get them to go to an event or a class twice a year, it will already be useful.
Here are all opportunities I'm aware off: www.steam-ahead.org/resources/ and I will keep adding more.
Richard posted here the link to the Auckland Festival event with Nanogirl, and you could also check out the regular OMGTech.co.nz events. They definitely start with primary school.
I hope you find something suitable and well done for looking out for such opportunities for your daughters!