Supporting Talent & Ambition in Renewable Energy Sector for Girls, through mentoring and role models (STAR Girls)

Programme(s): Erasmus+ (ERASMUS+)
Topic(s): ERASMUS-EDU-2024-POL-EXP-VET
Type of action: ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants
Project ID: 101196009

Objective: "The Green Deal Industrial Plan gives new urgency to the full implementation of the European Skills Agenda as well as to improving how skills are valued and used in the economy. The green and digital transitions will bring many opportunities in terms of new jobs, if appropriate measures are taken to ensure that the workforce has the right skills. However, as stated in the Plan, a gender gap continues to prevail in net-zero technologies. For example, women are under-represented in vocational education and training (VET) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) sub-fields that are highly relevant for the net-zero industry. Also, in the renewables sector, women account for only one third of the workforce. Underlying barriers to womens participation in the net-zero economy include not only a lack of technical skills but also insufficient mentorship opportunities, as well as cultural and social norms more broadly. Hence, there is a clear opportunity for harnessing female talent in these fields, which is why the inclusiveness of women is at the heart of the third pillar of the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The STAR Girls project capitalizes the work done on the SECOVE (Sustainable Energy Centres of Vocational Excellence) project. Specifically, the project builds on SECOVE's WP5: ""Making SECOVE inclusive and encouraging female in technical professions"", where the partners have developed observatories for monitoring and promoting gender equality in VET studies related to sustainable energy. STAR Girls goes one step further proposing specific policy interventions, that will be thoroughly evaluated and can be replicated, in order to attract girls in studies and careers in the sector of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The STAR Girls' target groups are girls in secondary education, their teachers, female professionals in RES that will act as role models and mentors, educational authorities, career guidance organizations and employment services, etc."