The overall objective of EMPOWERAI was to strengthen vocational education and training (VET) capacity in female-dominated sectors by empowering VET teachers and female entrepreneurs to meaningfully integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into entrepreneurship education and business practice. We wanted to address gaps in digital readiness, entrepreneurial competence, and AI awareness, particularly in non-technical VET fields, through practical, accessible, and ethically grounded learning solutions tools presented in the EmpowerAI compendium and e-learning course.
The EMPOWERAI project was developed in response to a clear and shared need identified by the partner organisations: female-dominated VET sectors and female entrepreneurs were being left behind in the digital and AI driven transformation of entrepreneurship. While AI was becoming increasingly influential in the world of work, many VET teachers teaching entrepreneurship in sectors such as beauty, hairdressing, care, administration and creative industries lacked the knowledge, confidence and pedagogical tools to integrate AI into their curricula. Similarly, female entrepreneurs often expressed uncertainty, scepticism or fear towards AI, despite recognising its growing relevance for competitiveness, marketing, customer engagement and business decision making. The consortium had also identified a lack of practical, non-technical and ethically grounded learning resources tailored to these target groups. Existing AI initiatives largely focused on technical or STEM oriented fields, offering limited relevance for female dominated vocations. Furthermore, we had recognised a gender gap in digital and AI competences, which risked reinforcing existing inequalities in entrepreneurship and innovation.