Improving girls’ and women’s interest and participation in ICT in Poland

Improving girls’ and women’s interest and participation in ICT in Poland 

Through the European Commission and this TSI project, Poland is seeking support to better understand why women remain underrepresented in ICT-related studies and professions, and identify practical ways to increase their participation. The project will design and test new measurement tools, analyse barriers and success factors, and support the development of recommendations and an implementation concept for more gender-inclusive ICT pathways.

Context

Poland has enjoyed solid economic growth in recent years, but faces growing demographic pressures, including an ageing population, emigration and skills shortages. These challenges are particularly acute in information and communication technologies (ICT), where employers struggle to recruit qualified specialists. While fewer SMEs in Poland report general recruitment difficulties than the EU average, they experience above-average difficulties in hiring ICT professionals, and ICT specialists make up a slightly smaller share of the workforce than in the EU as a whole.

This project will help Poland reach these targets by deepening understanding of the barriers girls and women face and how to overcome them.

Support delivered

Through this TSI project, Poland will receive support to design, test and implement tools to increase girls’ and women’s participation in ICT education and careers. It will involve the Ministry of Digital Affairs, other relevant ministries and a broad range of stakeholders (schools, higher education institutions, employers, social partners and civil society).

A Technical Expert Group will help develop pilot surveys for students, parents, teachers/schools and ICT professionals to examine interests, education choices, career trajectories, barriers and enabling conditions at individual, school, socio-economic, regional and industry levels. Based on the survey results and international good practice, the OECD will analyse women’s underrepresentation in ICT in Poland and organise a study visit to an EU country with higher female participation. 

Expected results

In the short and medium term, the project will equip Polish authorities and stakeholders with a deeper, evidence-based understanding of the obstacles and enabling conditions that shape girls’ and women’s access to ICT education and careers; pilot-tested tools and methodologies to regularly monitor interest, participation and barriers, and to improve data collection on gender and ICT; and a set of practical, prioritised recommendations and an implementation concept to guide policies and initiatives that encourage more girls and women to pursue ICT pathways.

In the longer run, this work is expected to contribute to promote a higher share of women among ICT students, graduates, researchers and professionals in Poland; progress towards Poland’s national targets under the Digital Competence Development Programme and EU-level goals related to digital skills, ICT specialists and gender convergence; and a more inclusive, innovative and competitive Polish digital economy, supported by a broader and more diverse ICT talent pool.

Usefull links

OECD website: Improving girls’ and women’s interest and participation in ICT in Poland | OECD