Category: Initiative

Area: Gender Inequality

Place/Country: Germany

Date: Once every year

Institutions involved: Organisation by: Kompetenzzentrum Technik-Diversity-Chancengleichheit e. V.

Target group:

• Boys starting age 11 and their families
• Organisations looking for future young talents

Goals / Objectives /Aims: Boys have a wide range of interests and strengths, but when it comes to choosing their careers, they often opt for professions that are “traditionally” associated with men: e.g. automotive mechatronics technician or industrial mechanic. However, there are plenty of occupational fields in which male professionals and caregivers are sought after and highly desirable, e.g. in the fields of social services, health, care and education.
On Boys’ Day, Boys can get to know such professions in which men are underrepresented.

Content / Structure / Description including strengthening action competence

Boys’Day is a nationwide orientation day for boys on career guidance and life planning. Boys learn about professions or fields of study in which the proportion of men is less than 40 percent, e.g. in the areas of health/nursing, education/social work or services. Or they take part in workshops on career and life choices or role models.

Boys’ Day is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Results / Responses → Resulting Competences:

Boys get to know occupational fields that are “traditionally” out of the question for them. In addition, students can also take part in educational workshops. They focus on (e.g.) male role models, career and life planning, and the diversity of life plans. Boys can also strengthen their teamwork and conflict management abilities by working on their social skills.

Feedback / Evaluation of the practice:

According to the impact study of 2022, 66% of all Boys’ Day participants state that they learned about a new career field, which now interests them as a future career choice. Participants who can imagine working in the health and care professions rises from 16 to 22 percent. In the educational and social professions, it rises from 17 to 27 percent. That shows that Boys’ Day is able to broaden the participants’ spectrum of careers and studies.

Link to the source: https://www.boys-day.de/