According to the EU, more efforts are needed to attract students to apply for education in STEM, as women are greatly underrepresented in this sector.
Mind the Gap! was started in 2014 as a consortium of five partners to increase women's interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM):
- United Kingdom (Sheffield University and Inova Consultancy),
- Netherlands (VhTO)
- Spain (Citilab and WiTEC)
The result has been a number of guidelines for how more women can be attracted to study and work in STEM. By encouraging more girls in science subjects after compulsory education, the project can contribute to:
- To fill the shortage of people with technical skills by inspiring more girls to stay in school and train in STEM.
- Tackling high levels of early school leaving and youth unemployment by raising the aspirations of young women.
- To improve equality and diversity in STEM by raising awareness of the current divide.
Read more about the Mind the Gap! project at www.mindthegapproject.eu
- Mind the Gap analys.pdf 720 KB
FOUR TOOLS ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE:
Background facts
By 2020 , for example, Great Britain will need 1.3 million people with technical skills. Currently, there are not enough advanced level students in science subjects to fill these vacancies.
According to the 2012 WISE report,
women in STEM are in a clear minority. Some countries (mainly the former Soviet Union) have approximately 20% women working in STEM, while Western European countries such as France and Spain only have 17%, Denmark 16%, Germany and Finland 15% and Great Britain 9%.
Objectives of the project
- Help teachers to recruit and retain more girls in their STEM courses.
- Support and inspire girls to pursue their STEM education and careers in the sector by helping them develop the soft skills they need to work in a male-dominated environment.
- In the longer term, the project will also work to raise awareness among a wider target group of the importance of promoting young women and girls in schools and colleges across Europe.
- Mind the GAP
Gender Training Programme
A new training program
to support vocational teachers to recruit and retain female students on their courses; teaching materials and inclusive methods to increase teachers' gender awareness in STEM in their teaching methods.
- Career Circles ™:
Flickor i STEM
Based on mentoring and an "action learning" method developed by Inova (UK), the project has developed Career Circles to support girls, who study or have recently completed science subjects, to help them to develop the soft skills they need to develop their career plans, evaluate their goals and build the confidence they need to work in a male-dominated industry.
- Career Circles ™:
for vocational teachers
Mind The Gap has also developed circles for teachers
so that they can see and discuss the problems women in STEM face, and better understand how they can support young students through new teaching methods and different tools.
- GAP
Online Learning Hub
In Mind the Gaps Learning Hub, materials produced freely are available to a wider audience of girls, teachers, decision-makers and society.
There will also be other open educational resources (OER) in a searchable directory to help young girls and teachers find useful educational materials.
