Teenage girls programme robots and suture bananas during 'Teenturnship' at Limerick company

FOUR teenage girls got the chance to programme robots, dismantle infusion pumps and even stitch up a banana through a ‘Teenturnship’ at BD’s medical technology facility in Limerick.

The four girls - Claire, Jennifer, Risea and Sadia - had the opportunity to move from curious newcomers to active participants through the Teenturnship, one of several initiatives run by Teen-Turn, an Irish charity dedicated to increasing female participation in STEM. 

The programme offers short-term placements that put students alongside professionals, not just observing, but actually taking part in the work.

Over their two weeks at BD (Becton Dickinson), the girls tested syringe pumps in the reliability lab, programmed collaborative robots, and learned why an infusion pump’s tubing clamp can be a matter of life and death. 

They studied circuit boards and breadboards, practised surgical hand scrubbing, and heard cautionary tales of costly engineering mistakes. 

In the rapid prototyping lab, they watched 3D printers shape intricate parts layer by layer, holding freshly printed prototypes still warm to the touch.

Of all the skills they tried, the most “unexpectedly difficult” was suturing a banana. Its fragile skin made it a challenging patient, splitting open if the stitches were pulled too tight. 

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“I loved it, but it was also super hard,” Risea said. “The level of control and precision it takes made me realise just how skilled nurses are.”

By the end of the placement, the girls weren’t ready to pack up. After two weeks of exploring labs, trying new skills and meeting people who welcomed their questions, they felt a real sense of connection to the place. 

“This was an incredible chapter of my life—an experience I’ll never forget,” Claire said. “I had the chance to explore different streams of courses at BD, and I’m deeply grateful to all our mentors and hosts for guiding us and giving us the freedom to explore. I swear, I’ve never met a single mentor or host who wasn’t kind, open, and supportive.”

“Watching the four reflect on their time at BD, it was clear how valuable opportunities like this can be,” a spokesperson for Teen-Turn said. “Before choices about courses or careers are locked in, stepping into a real workplace, meeting people in roles you’ve only read about, and trying your hand at unfamiliar tasks offers something no classroom can.”

As Sadia put it: “Before the Teenturnship, I wasn’t into software or engineering — I just did it for fun. But this experience completely changed my perspective. It opened my eyes.”

Teen-Turn is an Irish non-profit organisation that provides teenage girls, particularly those from underserved communities, the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and the support to acquire qualifications and jobs.

More information on their activities and the support they provide to girls is available at www.teen-turn.com.