Academia and the working world are out of synch. Scientific and health degrees are among the least popular while the demand for engineering skills in the working world is soaring. Our future is forged in the lecture halls and these skills are essential to fuel tomorrow’s progress. There is therefore a pressing need of initiatives to foster interest in STEM studies (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

STEM Talent Girl is precisely one of these skills-promotion programs, with one special feature: it is aimed at females. The goal is to inspire girls to take up scientific-technological careers, enabling them to bridge the gender gap and empower the next generation of technology-savvy women.

The first step in this quest is the Talent Searches held in Burgos, Valladolid and Cantabria. These are meant to evaluate the aptitudes of female pupils and usher them towards the “Science for her” program, the first phase of the project in which pupils from the 3rd and 4th years of Spain’s secondary education syllabus come into contact with leading STEM women, who work as mentors in masterclasses and shadowing sessions. The second phase is Mentor Women, geared towards pupils from the 1st and 2nd years of Spain’s baccalaureate system. The third, called Real Work, has been designed for university students.

This program is directed not only at the students and pupils but also STEM professionals, to build up a network of mentors of this initiative, helping the girls to find their feet and giving them support and advice along the way.

GMV is sponsoring this initiative in Valladolid, and 3 GMV mentors form part of this project: María Jesús Calvo has a three-year degree in telecommunications engineering, a five-year degree in electronics engineering and a master’s degree in marketing and commercial management; Noelia Méndez has a three-year engineering degree in computer systems, a five-year IT-engineering degree and a master’s degree in information systems and languages; Aurora Izquierdo has a three-year telecommunications-engineering degree (specializing in electronic systems), electronics engineering and a master’s degree in project management; she also holds an IPMA Level D certification (Certified Project Management Associate).

The program kicked off in November in the industrial engineering school of Valladolid University; the first masterclass was given by Carme Artigas Brugal, CEO of Synergic Partners.