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Women in Technology

Women in Tech aims to increase female participation in technology-focused vocational education and training (VET), with a particular focus on Advanced Manufacturing and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The project addresses persistent gender gaps in technology education and careers by identifying barriers to women’s participation and developing inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches that respond to the needs of female learners, educators and industry.

The project will bring together six European partners across five work packages to develop and test an Inclusive Industry-Integrated Model combining evidence-based research, gender-sensitive pedagogy and close cooperation with industry. Through this approach, Women in Tech will strengthen digital and technical skills, promote more inclusive learning environments and support stronger links between VET and the labour market.

The project will begin with a transnational needs analysis, using surveys and interviews with female VET learners, educators and industry representatives to identify key barriers, needs and drivers for women’s participation in technology-focused VET. The findings will provide a comparative European evidence base and inform the development of practical solutions.

Building on this research, partners will co-design an Inclusive Industry-Integrated Model, supported by gender-sensitive guidelines, impact assessment tools and practical frameworks for VET providers and industry partners. The model will then be piloted and validated through workshops, mentoring activities and industry-linked projects in Advanced Manufacturing and ICT, allowing partners to test and refine approaches in real learning environments.

The project will also develop a range of practical resources, including a Skills & Inclusion Observatory Toolkit, a Methodological Toolkit and collection of Good Practices, a Digital Knowledge Hub, and a Sustainability Framework. These resources will support VET providers, educators and industry stakeholders in adopting and transferring inclusive practices beyond the project.

Through dissemination, policy dialogue and European cooperation, Women in Tech will promote the wider uptake of successful approaches and support their long-term sustainability. The project is expected to strengthen institutional capacity, improve teaching competences, deepen cooperation between VET providers and industry, and ultimately increase women’s participation, engagement and progression in technology-focused VET and careers.

Objectives

Women in Tech aims to increase female participation in technology-focused VET by:

• Identifying and addressing gender gaps in Advanced Manufacturing and ICT through evidence-based analysis of barriers, motivations and institutional practices.
• Developing an Inclusive Industry-Integrated Model combining gender-sensitive pedagogy, industry cooperation, mentoring and female role models.
• Testing, validating and supporting the sustainability of inclusive approaches through pilots, evaluation and practical tools for VET providers.
• Supporting inclusion, the attractiveness of STEM-oriented VET and digital transformation by strengthening digital skills and cooperation between VET providers and industry.

Outputs

Women in Tech will deliver:

• A Skills & Inclusion Observatory Toolkit with survey and interview tools and a Transnational Comparative Report on gender gaps in technology VET.
• An Inclusive Industry-Integrated Model with an Impact Framework, KIP workshops, mentoring formats and guidelines for integrating female role models.
• A Consolidated Pilot Implementation Report documenting the testing and evaluation of the model in real VET and industry contexts.
• A Refined Methodological Toolkit and Collection of Validated Good Practices supporting the practical adoption and transfer of inclusive approaches.
• A Digital Knowledge Hub providing accessible resources and knowledge for VET providers, educators and industry stakeholders.
• A Sustainability Framework supporting the long-term uptake and integration of the project’s approaches across European VET systems.
• Stronger institutional and teaching capacity, closer VET–industry cooperation and increased attractiveness and participation of women in technology-focused VET.