Women are not interested in technical professions, not because they can’t cope with them, but because – as previous editions of the “Girls GO Technology” program have shown – young girls in secondary schools, apart from big cities, do not have any meaningful or valuable educational models or professional guidance. Only deliberate educational advancement can broaden the prospects and ambitions of students. Female potential has to be tapped into and woken up. Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland has been playing this role and is being appreciated. The “Girls GO Technology” project was recognized by the Jury of the PR Wings competition and was awarded first place in the corporate PR category.
The PR Wings competition promotes professional, ethical and outstanding practices in the field of public relations and communication. The organizer of the voting is the Association of Public Relations Agencies (SAPR). This is the first year it has taken place. At the gala ceremony, during the Congress of Professionals in Rzeszów, statuettes were awarded in 12 categories.
In January 2021, the project “Girls GO Technology, or girls tame technology”, was awarded a Brązowy Spinacz in the “Złote Spinacze” competition organized by the Association of Public Relations Companies.
About program
“Girls GO Technology, or girls tame technology” is a series of meetings addressed to high school students from the Jawor region. The aim of this is to familiarize them with mathematical, technical and the engineering sciences. It was established in 2018 under the guidance of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland with a view to instilling the belief that technology is friendly and can be a great idea for the future professional lives of young women. The fourth edition of the program will be starting in October of this year.
– Why do girls avoid or are even afraid of technology? Why don’t they think about an interesting and well-paid job in modern industry? STEM, or technical fields of study, are a special field to combat stereotypes. On the one hand, there is an assumption that “it’s not for women”, and on the other hand, the increasing changes in employment statistics prove that the number of women in the industry is growing rapidly. – says Ewa Łabno-Falęcka, head of communications and external relations at Mercedes-Benz. – There are two ultra-modern Mercedes factories in Jawor, producing internal combustion engines and electric batteries for passenger cars. At the moment, more than 1,300 people work here, 40% of whom are women. – she adds.
Girls from the “Girls GO Technology” program take part in a series of workshops in which the leaders – experts from various fields, motivate them to experience what technology is and how it affects the everyday lives of human beings. Classes help students discover their potential and are designed to support them in identifying their own strengths.
– We show that technology, technical sciences, engineering, programming or IT, more often described as typically male interests, can now become their opportunity for success – their area of interest, field of study and work. – emphasizes Ewa-Łabo-Falęcka.
Permanent partners of the project are: Siemens Polska, WSSE “INVEST-PARK”, Educational Cluster Invest in EDU and Randstad Polska.