It is estimated that 15-30% of current jobs will be processed entirely by technology in the next 5 years. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Robotics will be able to carry out the most repetitive and automatable tasks independently, allowing individuals to focus on decision-making processes with greater added value, characterized by the enhancement of cognitive skills that require a constant ability to adapt to change.
About one in four companies (23%) said they had not identified STEM profiles in the “time of need”.
Unfortunately, the career opportunities for women in this sector are still a long way from being considered satisfactory.
Starting from school, according to data released by “Save The Children”, among students with high achievement in science subjects, only 1 in 8 girls expect to work as an engineer or in scientific professions, compared to 1 in 4 among boys. And as adults, women are less confident in their technical skills despite having a science degree and pursue less competitive and lower-paid jobs than men who have recently earned the same degrees.
If the female population interested in technical and scientific subjects is still so scarce, gender stereotypes – which, even today, are part of the collective imagination – certainly contribute in a negative way. From an early age, girls have far fewer role models within the world of science and this explains the “lack of interest” that girls have in STEM subjects.
According to a 2020 research by the “Deloitte Foundation Observatory”, as many as 66% of female respondents (compared to 59% of males) stated that the lack of interest in these subjects was a fundamental deterrent that led them to discard the hypothesis of a STEM career. The research also shows that 29% of STEM employees believe that these subjects are more suitable for males. This is denied by the professors’ evaluations: among those, we interviewed only 1 in 10 think that STEM subjects are more akin to the “natural” abilities of men. In light of these data, the time has come to put stereotypes aside and invest in STEM training, encouraging the involvement of girls in this universe as much as possible.
So, here we are!
One of the main objectives of the STEAM4ALL project is precisely the reduction of the gender gap in the study and presence of women in the labor market that relies on these disciplines.
STEAM4ALL project aims to ensure social inclusion, access and participation of ALL STUDENTS, through the design, development and evaluation of an INCLUSIVE TOOL KIT and EDUCATIONAL PACK for developing, implementing and monitoring various strategies aiming to promote STEAM skills informal or non-formal settings, based on the creation of PARTNERSHIPS/SYNERGIES between the schools, stakeholders and the labour market.
For more information about the project visit the official webpage: www.steam4all.4learning.eu and follow the Facebook page @STEAM4All – Empowering Future Generations
Source:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/542199/IPOL_STU(2015)542199_EN.pdf