Together for STEM

Context

As digitalisation advances and new technologies emerge, the importance of STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering  and mathematics, is growing, as is the demand for skilled workers in these fields. Additionally, research, technology and innovation (RTI) increase prosperity and quality of life in Austria. RTI is seen as a key solution to social problems, from the aftermath of COVID and climate change to an ageing society and youth unemployment. Rising unemployment is also a problem for women who often lack opportunities in the STEM sector, in part due to traditional gender roles that still prevail in rural areas. Many girls still choose to learn ‘traditional trades’ such as hairdressing and office administration. Therefore, focusing on gender-sensitive STEM education is necessary to highlight the opportunities and benefits that training in STEM offers.

The STEM Region Pongau and SciEnnsPark address this gap by offering early, practical and low-threshold access to STEM through workshops, open lab days, school cooperation and regional company involvement. By making STEM visible, tangible and locally accessible, the project helps young women to broaden their career choices beyond traditional female-dominated occupations. It therefore contributes directly to gender equality, economic independence, skilled labour development and the retention of young women in a rural region.

Objectives 

The project’s primary goal was to establish the region as a pioneer in terms of best practice as regards facilitating interest and enthusiasm in STEM among young women, attracting more young people in general to STEM apprenticeships, securing young skilled talent and simplifying recruitment. This would involve offering all people in the region (including those with disabilities) the same opportunities in STEM education using a variety of actions and supporting STEM education at schools in the early stages. 

Further down the line, the aim is to establish the region as a location for innovation and draw attention to local STEM stakeholders by hosting joint events, helping to bring STEM to life in different contexts.  

Activities

The first step was to establish a regional coordination office, with gender equality as a main guiding principle, and whose primary task was to offer workshops in various STEM areas to all partner schools.

STEM partner companies were brought on board to offer visits to their facilities to give young people insights into the respective professions on site.

One of the centrepieces of the project is the SciEnnsPark, which has received funding from both LEADER and the state of Salzburg. It is equipped with all the necessary technical devices for STEM teaching: visitors can practise 3D printing, do their own laser cutting, soldering and embroidery, take part in photography workshops and much more.

A central format of the project is MINT (the German acronym for STEM) Girls Day, offering young women the opportunity to explore mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology in practical and encouraging ways. The programme was designed in a girls-only station-based format, where participants can alternate between different hands-on tasks. They can experiment, try out technical tools, work with digital applications and experience STEM topics in enjoyable, accessible settings. This creates safe learning environments in which girls can ask questions, test their skills and gain confidence without being pressured by traditional gender stereotypes.

The project also designed creative digital workshops for young women. In cooperation with the ‘we:are’ programme run by the artists’ group ‘gold extra’, girls participated in a workshop that combined creative storytelling with digital programming. After developing their own stories through writing and imagination, they used computers and basic programming to visualise these stories digitally. This approach showed that technology and coding can also be creative tools for self-expression.

Programming workshops for girls were also run in cooperation with the Kompass careers advice service. They introduced girls to coding in a low-threshold and supportive way, to strengthen their digital skills, reduce their apprehension towards technology and encourage them to see themselves as active creators in the digital world.

Two STEM congresses were held in 2025 and 2026, where companies, regional stakeholders and educational institutions were able to network and exchange ideas.

Gender equality

All the activities organised within the scope of the project challenge traditional gender roles and broaden girls’ perspectives on future education and career choices. By combining hands-on STEM experiences, creativity and programming, the project made technology more accessible and attractive for girls. This contributes directly to gender equality in STEM education and supports girls in discovering future-oriented opportunities in a rural region such as Pongau.

Generational renewal

In the course of the project, young people are not only seen as ‘consumers’ of educational offers but also take on the important position of role models. Companies have repeatedly sent apprentices and young employees to various events to share knowledge about the respective job profiles and the associated activities to foster peer learning. This dual role of young people within the project helps to open up new career paths for the next generation.

Main results

Students can choose from a wide range of workshops, with 60 already implemented and 932 students taking part. These workshops also benefit regional companies, which can recruit apprentices, and universities, which can advertise university courses to a broad target group.

Complementing their school education, young girls are offered various formats designed to increase their interest in STEM and spark enthusiasm in a field dominated by men. Besides supporting the development of latent talents and interests, this creates a new potential field of employment, which is crucial to keeping women interested in staying in the region and ties in with the advantages for local companies and universities. Indeed, a large network was formed involving all the region's key stakeholders, which is supported by municipalities and backed by the LEADER region.

Thematic partnership on this scale did not previously exist in the area, and the network of the STEM region demonstrates the importance synergies and cooperation (via regular network meetings and congresses). It has created value for the region, which can now be seen as an attractive place to live and work. Migration can be prevented if the region offers enough opportunities, as people no longer have to leave for training and further education, and it is also more attractive for qualified newcomers.

Key lessons

It was crucial to recruit a broad and diverse network of project partners, particularly those who contribute specific expertise. Kompass supports the project with gender-sensitive programming workshops for girls, helping them gain confidence in coding and digital technologies, while ‘we:are’ offers gender-specialised workshops that combine storytelling, digital tools and basic programming, showing girls that technology can also be creative and expressive.

Further partners include universities, which provide offers for school classes, the HTL high school for technology, which organises a STEM Day with specially developed stations, the STEM Coordination Office Salzburg, which supports quality development and impact orientation, and the aws STEM Service Hub, which enables exchange with STEM stakeholders across Austria.

Regular networking meetings are also necessary to keep all partners informed, strengthen cooperation and enable exchange of experiences. Through this partner network, the project combines regional cooperation, technical expertise and gender-sensitive learning opportunities for girls in the region.