RoboTech Girls'
About this good practice
RoboTech Girls’ was created at the encouragement of Robotic Junior Entrepreneur and the Grand Est Region, with the aim to create specific events for middle and high school girls, to help them discover the vast range of digital professions in all fields. It was set-up in 2019 by the Grand Est Region, afterwards co-shared between the CCI Grand Est and Grand E-Nov+ with the support of Strasbourg Academy; Ongoing. The objectives are to convince young girls to choose digital professions, to raise their awareness on challenges, to guide them in the process, to remove related stereotypes.
Several formats are in place forsecondary school girls:
- RoboTech Girls' Days (RTG’ Days): Visits to companies or universities in 2019/2020, to introduce them to careers, demonstrations and training courses. Since 2022, the initiative operates in a new format for girls : one day a year of workshops and meetings with companies, hosted by universities in the area, and offering the discovery workshops. The girls come to take part in between 6 and 10 discovery workshops in the morning, then meet companies in the afternoon in job-dating (on average 6).
- RoboTech Girls' Salon (fair) BE 5.0 Mulhouse: since 2019, immersion in a local industrial and digital trade show, to meet professionals and role models. Adaptation to an online format in 2020/2021.
The aim is to make them aware of the potential in the digital sector via the companies and universities in the region.
Resources needed
100% public funding. Half a FTE divided into two project managers (CCI Grand Est & Grand E-Nov+) to organise an annual programme. These two people liaise the Grand Est region and Strasbourg Academy, as with the volunteering companies and organisations that provide venues, buses, or food for free.
Evidence of success
The success is shown by the high number of participants in this action: in 23.
2x as many schools wanted to take part, which meant 2x as many girls applied. For every 100 places offered at the fairs, 200 girls applied, demonstrating the high level of interest.
Registrations were redirected to the 120-place RTG’ Days action, with 80% of places already pre-reserved when registrations were launched.
Companies’ engagement agreement signed by Orange, Grand Est Region and Grand E-Nov+ in November 23.
Potential for learning or transfer
This action is relevant for European regions and stakeholders, who face the same problem of female underrepresentation in digital channels, the need to guide young girls towards digital professions, remove stereotypes in the sector, etc.
While the start of the action is more complex (mapping/contacting potential organisations), after data becomes available demonstrating success, it becomes less complex to carry out.
The region chairs this action for 5 years now and the format is dynamic (adjustment according to the needs identified).
We can explain upon demand the process and we can share our workshop topics as well as our communication and organization methodology, which we improve year after year.
Further information
Salon virtuel RoboTech Girls'
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Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
