She helps to build boats and works in a shipyard. He is a nursery school teacher and works with children. Nowadays, both are considered perfectly acceptable. Yet despite this, notions about gender-specific roles continue to discourage girls and boys from choosing careers like this: in occupations in which mathematics, information technology, the natural sciences and technology play a key role (MINT occupations), just 17 percent of employees who are enrolled in the social insurance system are women. And in professions such as nursery school teaching and social work, just 17 per cent of the employees are men.

The Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day is taking place throughout Germany on Thursday, 28th April 2022. It enables girls all over Germany to gain an insight into male-dominated professions. And it’s the same for boys: they get to learn about the professions that are dominated by women. The goal is to allow young people to find out about the full range of occupations on offer, without having to orient themselves to role models.

The Federal Employment Agency is participating in many of the events organised as part of the Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day. The Equal Opportunities Officers will be coordinating the activities nationwide, which will also include best practice examples from companies at both the digital level and on location. On Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day, agencies for employment, job centres and agencies for youth employment will also introduce young people to apprenticeship-based occupations and those requiring university study in the public employment service. In their search for the skilled staff of the future, companies and organisations all over Germany will be offering young people insights behind the scenes to help them with their career orientation. With the help of the “Radar”, young people can find out about suitable events taking place in their local area on the websites www.girls-day.de and www.boys-day.de.

Detlef Scheele, Executive Chairman of the Federal Employment Agency: “For the young people, the Future Day is now an established and good opportunity for helping them to broaden their view of the world of work by learning actively about professions without stereotypes and regardless of gender. In this respect, parents, schools and teachers are especially important: in allowing them to participate in the events that are on offer during the Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day, they help to support the boys and girls with their career orientation. Young people can also forge some initial contacts with companies – whether for an internship or a future apprenticeship. Across Germany, employers are offering well over a hundred thousand places this year.”