Engineers Ireland, the national representative body for the engineering profession, welcomes an increase in the proportion of students sitting the higher-level Leaving Certificate maths paper this year. The number of students taking the honours maths paper this year increased to 39% compared to 36% in 2024. 

•    Increase in students sitting honours maths paper +3%
•    Greatest number of students sitting honours maths since 2011 (23,450)

Literacy in maths is a skill highly sought after by employers in an increasingly technological age, with roles in science, technology, and engineering highly reliant on strong mathematical ability. 

Many disciplines of engineering feature on the State’s Critical Skills Occupations List and speaking about today’s Leaving Certificate results, Engineers Ireland Director General, Damien Owens, said: “This statistic is very positive, given the 22,000 additional engineers required over the next ten years to build the infrastructure and technology Ireland needs to meet our housing, transport and climate challenges. Engineering is a gateway to some of the most exciting and diverse careers in the world, yet engineering graduates make up less than 10 per cent of all graduates.”

For those considering a career in engineering, there are various routes, including college courses, industry apprenticeships and QQI FET programmes. “I wish to congratulate all students on their achievement today in what has been the culmination of years of hard work. There are many pathways into engineering, with apprenticeship routes into the profession becoming increasingly popular. I encourage students and parents to assess all of these options in the days and weeks ahead,” Owens added.