BACKGROUND
Why this project matters
Gender inequality in European VET institutions is more pronounced than in other educational sectors. According to the European School Education Platform, 86% of occupations lack gender balance, linked to gender segregation in studies.
Traditional gender roles heavily influence early career choices: boys are steered toward scientific and technical fields, while girls are directed toward caregiving and social professions. This disproportionate steering negatively affects labour market efficiency, economic growth, and workplace culture across Europe.
The BGB-VET project proposes a dual-innovation strategy, uniting an ethically designed AI-powered virtual simulation platform with systematic tools to develop and implement Gender Equality Plans. This multilevel, interdisciplinary approach aligns with the EU’s commitment to ethical AI implementation in education and the Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience.
NEEDS ANALYSIS
Five critical needs in EU VET systems
Evidence-based understanding of gender inequality
VET institutions require evidence-based insights to tackle gender disparities. Data on best practices are crucial for implementing efficient strategies aligned with the EU's Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025.
Practical tools for workplace gender bias recognition
Students need safe and realistic environments to learn about and effectively respond to gender discrimination. The current VET landscape lacks interactive tools that simulate real-world workplace scenarios.
Insufficient teacher capacity in gender-responsive education
Teachers often lack multidisciplinary training that combines gender-responsive teaching methodologies with innovative technological tools such as AI. VET teachers need structured professional development opportunities.
Underdeveloped ethical AI-enhanced learning infrastructure
VET institutions require access to reliable, user-friendly technology that delivers consistent and effective gender bias awareness training, adhering to EU ethical guidelines on AI in education.
Absence of Gender Equality Plans in VET institutions
The EU emphasizes GEPs implementation to prevent gender stereotypes and segregation. VET institutions need to know how to leverage GEPs as a fundamental step towards institutional change.
What we aim to achieve
General objective
The project aims to support the transformation of European VET institutions’ approach to gender equality through a dual-innovation strategy: implementing an ethically designed AI-powered virtual simulation platform for experiential learning, while providing institutions with systematic tools for developing and implementing Gender Equality Plans.
AI simulation platform
Experiential learning for bias awareness through immersive virtual scenarios
Gender Equality Plans
Systematic tools for sustainable institutional change in VET
Target groups
Direct target
VET institutional communities
Administrative staff and school leaders equipped with tools for Gender Equality Plan implementation
Direct target
VET teachers
Key change agents trained in gender-responsive teaching and ethical AI implementation skills
Direct target
VET students
Developing skills and competencies for workplace equality and recognising gender bias
Direct target
Policymakers
National and regional policymakers informed by evidence-based recommendations
Direct target
European VET networks
Agencies and networks benefiting from transferable tools and methodologies
Direct target
Industry and civil society
Trade associations, NGOs, and employers engaged through dissemination activities
EXPECTED IMPACT
Creating change at every level
By introducing GEPs and AI-based teaching methods, the project directly benefits nearby communities around each VET institution, fostering a more inclusive culture in schools and workplaces.
Partner institutions share results through regional networks, enabling other VET centres to quickly adopt gender bias strategies and ethical AI tools.
The project reinforces each country's policy objectives around equality in education, providing a tested model that Ministries of Education can encourage other schools to replicate.
Spanning 6 countries, the project links to key EU goals: the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan, and Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025.