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Digital Girls: Role Models to get Girls employed
Start date: Dec 1, 2016, End date: Nov 30, 2018 PROJECT  FINISHED 

It is empirical experience that while the young generation (called “digital natives”) uses digital tools on daily basis, most of them have had neither the confidence nor the initiative to upgrade their passive user skills into "active" digital skills that could have a value on the labour market. Both employment and job search increasingly requires the use of e-skills, and the lack of “digital confidence” may put particular groups of young people at an important disadvantage. Girls are in a worse situation than boys. Whether this is due to the lack of digital role models or just the general and hard-to-specify stereotype that "programming in not for girls' brains", the reality is that women do not fully participate in the digital sector.Digital Girls project concept is built upon the understanding that actions on local and regional level, if they have a joint interface to showcase and promote their results on EU level, can successfully contribute to changing stereotypes. The perception that tech is a ‘job for the boys’ is something that can only be broken down in time, and through leading by example – by providing role models and case studies, by showcasing young women and girls with similar socio-economic backgrounds doing well in the industry. Digital Girls project addresses girls and young women, aged 16 -24 - NEETs (unemployed, with lower level of education, or currently not attending any vocational, higher or continuing education), or involved in the last phase of the general secondary education, incl. such with migrant background, with the aim to contribute to cultivate and enhance girls’ digital confidence, employability, entrepreneurial mindset and startup potential. The project aims at "breaking the ice": mapping the process for developing of digital skills suitable for the labour market to those girls and young women who need support and encouragement to fight the prejudices against women and make a first step in entering the digital world, or even recognizing that their passive IT-user skills can be transferred into valuable competencies for the labour market. It raises awareness of needs of changing the attitudes towards digital learning and showing girls clear pathways to excellence. The project applies "confidence-building" measures and effective methodology for youth work in the field, based on combination of role models and digital storytelling.The project activities include:- selecting and promoting digital role models of women and girls and developing short film series "The world of successful Digital Girls";- developing Digital career roadmap series for different digital jobs and professions; - creating and reinforcing an online platform for girl’s meaningful information about opportunities with digital market, that facilitates and improves the capture and sharing of good practices, and highlights role models;- organising tailored events: Open days in companies, Inspiration days, web events for girls “Web tea and cupcakes”- large dissemination and exploitation campaign.The main project results (both during the project lifetime and after its end) are the following:- Improved motivation for girls to consider careers in the digital technology market;- Increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship;- Increased opportunities for professional development;- Mapped process for developing of digital skills, aligned to the needs of and opportunities offered by the labour market;- Exchange of good practices and lessons learned on women and technology within and across nations; - Proven methodology for high-quality youth work in 5 European countries (The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Greece, Czech Republic and Ireland) and beyond;- Knowledge and experience gained by partner organisations in the field of transnational cooperation, project management, innovative practices to inspire and involve more girls and young women into digital career; - Exchange of best practices on the integration of gender perspectives in ICT and digital education; - Continuous intercultural dialogue providing girls with meaningful information on the opportunities on the digital arena.Digital Girls outcomes will be designed and available as free on line resources so that, in practical terms, they are open for use at any level - local, regional, national, European and international, which is prerequisite for sustainability.

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