The 'STEM for Future' project aims to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation among young people of the emerging career opportunities facilitated by technology. This commitment includes training initiatives aimed at improving their STEM skills through innovative teaching methodologies. Objectives: a) To develop and validate a methodology to increase the STEM skills of young people approaching the end of upper secondary education, thereby helping them to make informed decisions regarding their subsequent academic or career paths; b) To formulate an evaluation framework to assess the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme and to measure the impact of the activity on the participants; c) Facilitate the exchange of experiences, dissemination of best practices and presentation of results, culminating in the creation of guidelines for the transfer and replication of training activities across EU Member States. The project involved approximately 100 male students attending the last years of upper secondary education (with a focus on those attending non-technical or non-technological schools) as they stand at the threshold of critical decisions for their future.
Developing skills for digital transformation is crucial if the EU is to leverage the full benefits of the ongoing digital revolution and sustain competitiveness in the global marketplace. The demand for digital skills is pervasive in almost all professions. Forty per cent of the EU workforce currently has limited or no digital skills. Moreover, the global labour market is projected to offer more than 50 million positions requiring skills in STEM fields by 2030. DESI 2020 pointed out that many EU members lag behind the global benchmark in digitisation, particularly in terms of skills and the percentage of young people receiving training or graduating in ICT fields. The implementation of initiatives to promote non-formal methodologies for teaching digital competences not only facilitates young people in acquiring skills in STEM subjects, but also guides them in their educational and professional decisions. Finally, although levels of initial interest in STEM subjects are comparable between boys and girls, there is a significant disparity in retention and continuation in these disciplines, particularly among girls. This underlines an urgent gender issue that requires attention.