Girls and young women apparently find it difficult to pursue a career in skilled trades. Talent scouts from the Upper Franconia Chamber of Skilled Crafts and the Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate Chamber of Skilled Crafts are working to inspire them to pursue skilled trades training. The project is coordinated by f-bb and funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Labor. (Photo: © mihtiander/123RF.com)
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Women in Crafts - Special Features
February 2022
Corinna Lange and Anita Gmeiner are talent scouts at two Chambers of Crafts in Bavaria. Their mission is to inspire girls and young women to pursue vocational training in the skilled trades. The f-bb (German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training) coordinates the project.
Girls and skilled trades don't seem to go together easily. The work is too hard. The job has no future. And you won't get rich doing it. "Many parents cling to these stereotypes and still believe that their daughter has no business in a carpentry shop or a car repair shop," says Katharina Drummer from the Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb) in Nuremberg.
She coordinates the project "Course for Crafts: (More) Girls Inspired for Craft Professions" . Partners include the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Upper Franconia . The employment agencies are also involved.
The shared goal will be to inspire female students to pursue careers in skilled trades and technical professions and to showcase the diverse career opportunities available to them . "We want to break down role stereotypes and gender-stereotypical career choices and raise awareness among all involved," said Katharina Drummer.
The faces of the project are Corinna Lange and Anita Gmeiner . They will be active as talent scouts in the Bamberg, Coburg and Weiden regions for the Upper Franconia Chamber of Skilled Crafts and the Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate Chamber of Skilled Crafts and Trades , respectively.
The Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Germany - HWK Münster
Operations management
"They are intended to support, accompany, and motivate the students on a very personal level in the career choice process and to create a counseling setting in which the girls and young women feel confident asking questions," says f-bb project coordinator Katharina Drummer, describing the two women's primary task.
The talent scouts primarily focus on female students in grades eight through eleven at secondary schools . Grammar schools can also request a consultation from Corinna Lange and Anita Gmeiner.
Corinna Lange is a master interior decorator and state-certified prop master . The 36-year-old has already worked for Hessian Broadcasting (HR), the Frankfurt Municipal Theatre, and the Coburg State Theatre. "During this time, I worked hand in hand behind the scenes with people from many different trades," explains the talent scout for the Upper Franconia Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
She wants to infect the students with her own passion for craftsmanship. Her message is: "It's not just a high school diploma and a university degree that promise a brilliant career. Young women with manual skills and abilities can become more individualized experts and personalities in a skilled trade."
Anita Gmeiner studied social work . The talent scout for the Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate Chamber of Skilled Crafts gained professional experience as a school social worker and in various youth-related roles . Regarding her connection to skilled trades , the 31-year-old explains: "I help out on our family farm. Small manual tasks like sawing or repairing farm machinery are part of our daily routine."
Through the project, she aims to give the students more opportunities for training and employment that will help them secure a bright future. "If girls and young women have the interest and skills, they must be encouraged to pursue an education that transcends stereotypical images of women."
Apprenticeship advisors on equal footing: Apprentices can be the best ambassadors for vocational training . In the online training courses of the Future Talent Camps, they are trained to become influencers . Female apprentices virtually introduce schoolgirls to the plasterer's profession during Girls' Day . As apprenticeship ambassadors , trainees visit schools and give firsthand accounts of their experiences during their training. Apprentices can also complete an internship abroad. EuroApprentice promotes study abroad opportunities in Europe to school students.
The project takes a holistic approach. It includes not only the students themselves, but also their social environment, such as parents and teachers . Furthermore, craft businesses are involved in the consultations.
The talent scouts' tasks will include organizing information events both digitally and in person, attending parents' evenings , and involving training companies . Even virtual reality will be part of the outreach efforts.
The talent scouts also plan to report on their work on social media . "We need to reach the female students ready for vocational training where they spend most of their time – with an account on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok," says Katharina Drummer.
The Bavarian Ministry of Labor is funding the project "Course for Skilled Trades: Inspiring (More) Girls to Pursue Skilled Trades" with funds from the Labor Market Fund until October 2023. Up to 460 people are to be reached within the two-year period . "The talent scouts bring the practical experience, while the f-bb provides the scientifically sound background," explains Kristin Hecker, the project's initiator and project group leader at the f-bb, describing the division of tasks.
In addition to the consulting concept for the talent scouts, the research institute is also developing a ten-minute online self-test aimed at parents and teachers . "It is designed to encourage reflection on one's own attitude towards the career choices of girls and young women , in order to dispel gender stereotypes," says Kristin Hecker.
The online self-test is expected to be available on the websites of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Upper Franconia and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate in spring 2022.
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