BOOSTING DIGITAL SKILLS OF YOUNG PUPILS, IN PARTICULAR GIRLS

This Digital Europe project aims to increase collaboration between primary, secondary and vocational schools and higher education and research, and to increase the number of students enrolled in digital learning in order to close the gender gap in digital skills.

The means to achieve these results will include running summer schools, organising specialised information and careers days, and conducting dissemination and outreach activities, including events such as EU Coding Week.

Objective:

Students in digital and ICT disciplines represent a minority, in 2021 they were 4.5% of total graduates. There is also a severe gender balance issue, with only 19% of ICT specialists and one in three science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) graduates being women.

Part of the commitments will be to fund summer schools for high school students in digital fields, career days for people interested in digital technologies, with a view to promoting more gender diversity and encouraging exchanges between higher education institutions and primary and secondary schools on digital topics. In addition, a special role should be given to the role of girls and women in the digital field, with a focus on debunking existing stereotypes and addressing the lack of confidence.

In order to fill the significant shortage of sector specialists using advanced digital technologies and ICT specialists, it is necessary to increase the pool of pupils who would be ultimately interested to study STEM and ICT, with a special focus on girls and women who are vastly underrepresented in the digital field. This action will have as a goal the inclusion of dedicated activities to encourage girls and women to take part in digital studies..

For example, the actions will finance summer schools for high-school students in digital areas, career days for people interested in digital, with a view to encourage more gender diversity and promote exchanges between higher education institutions and primary and secondary schools on digital topics.