Career orientation beyond gender stereotypes is worthwhile!
BDA AGENDA 8/22 | Topic of the Week | 28 April 2022
Today, 28 April, Girls'Day or Boys'Day is taking place across Germany. Around 10,000 companies across Germany are taking part, either analogously or digitally. The BDA is an official campaign partner.
Actually, gender stereotypes should not play a role when deciding on a profession. And yet the career choices of women and men in Germany will still differ considerably in 2022: While young women primarily opt for apprenticeships as office management assistants and medical or dental assistants, the top three apprenticeships for young men have for years been motor vehicle mechatronics technician, electronics technician and industrial mechanic. The situation is similar with regard to courses of study.
The reason? Often it is due to a limited knowledge of professional offers and development opportunities beyond the still prevailing gender stereotypes. For example, young women in particular often state that they want to do "something with people" in the future, but hardly ask themselves the question from which position they would like to do this: Do they want to care for people, advise them, guide them or develop solutions for them? Many girls are simply not aware of how closely they could also work with people as computer scientists, plant mechanics or civil engineers. And conversely, boys also often have only very limited ideas about working as a geriatric nurse or educator in a daycare center.
Against this background, the Girls'Day and Boys'Day campaigns offer a targeted opportunity to learn about exciting occupational fields beyond prejudices. This makes them the world's largest career orientation event that promotes the idea of choosing a career and a course of study free of role stereotypes. Pupils from grade 5 onwards visit companies and meet role models in professions that are still predominantly practiced by women or men and thus discover their individual strengths and talents. For boys, the focus is on occupations in the social sector, in education and care professions, and for girls on activities in the MINT area (mathematics, information technology, natural sciences, technology).
Around 10,000 companies and institutions will open their analogue or digital doors today and present opportunities on Girls'Day and/or Boys'Day. The BDA supports them as a member of the official steering group of the two action days. The evaluations of the last few years have shown that many companies subsequently receive enquiries about internships (in 2021, this concerned every third company) or training and study places (concerned even more than 50% of the companies). A commitment that pays off!
Incidentally, vocational orientation is also on the agenda at the upcoming "Summer of Vocational Training" of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, which will take place from May to October 2022. The BDA, together with the DIHK and the BA, has taken on the sponsorship of the topic of "vocational orientation" and will participate through SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT Deutschland with a webinar series.
