topic Ministry

Expanding the career spectrum for women and gender mainstreaming in vocational education and training

Technical professions and professions in the field of information technology offer attractive career and earnings opportunities - for members of both sexes. However, these professions of the future remain a male bastion. Young women are mainly to be found in the commercial sector, as assistants in the medical sector, and in the services sector. In 2004, women accounted for just 11 percent of all trainees in information and technology. Women are clearly underrepresented on scientific and technical courses in the field of higher education. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is conducting intensive project work to counter this development.

Girls' Day - Girls' Future Day

"Girls' Day - Girls' Future Day" takes place nationwide every year on the fourth Thursday in April. So far, more than 500,000 girls have taken advantage of this special day to find out more about jobs in the scientific and technical sector. 

Girls Day is being held for the seventh time in 2007. Once again, large companies, authorities, trade businesses, educational and training facilities and research centres will open their doors to girl pupils in years 5 to 10. They will give them an insight into professional fields which girls normally tend not to consider when choosing a career.

The focus is on science, the skilled trades and technical professions which are usually chosen by male applicants. By giving them access to workshops, offices, laboratories and editorial departments, Girls' Day offers girls excellent opportunities to gain an insight into everyday practice in the most diverse areas of the working world and to establish contacts.

Further information:  http://www.girls-day.de/english_information

"Joblab" career planning game

Joblab I and II are two multimedia planning games on CD Rom which give girl pupils an opportunity to consider their ideas about their careers and lives interactively. The users discover new career fields and can weigh up the respective advantages and disadvantages in simulation. The aim is to plan a life with plenty of prospects involving technically oriented professions of the future. Joblab I deals with training occupations, Joblab II with occupations which require a degree.

Further information: http://www.joblab.de/english.html

Lizzynet

The "LizzyNet" Internet programme gives girl pupils, particularly pupils at secondary general schools (Hauptschule), the opportunity to become involved interactively and get to know new professions.

Further information: http://www.lizzynet.de/

Further training for women in IT professions to become IT trainers

Girls and young women need positive female role models if we are to overcome traditional role and career patterns. As female trainers are virtually non-existent, girls and young women only too rarely take up careers in the IT sector. This project is aimed at women who have a career in IT but so far have no teaching experience and who are working in companies in the field of IT which would like to introduce corresponding traineeships in the new IT professions.

Further information: http://www.it-ausbilderinnen.de/