As part of our efforts in the field of Education, Skilled Workforce and Diversity, we want to increase the curiosity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among Swiss youth. We want young people and especially girls, between 12 and 16 years of age to consider and look at STEM careers with curiosity. This is essential to secure talent pipelines, tap into unused potential and increase the diversity of workers in STEM.

To raise awareness, digitalswitzerland has worked with Pro Juventute to feature 12 role models from the field of STEM with different backgrounds and perspectives.

In Switzerland, there are many highly-engaged and committed providers of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses. Supply of good STEM education is not the problem. Many courses are run by small, dedicated teams who are well-connected and well-established regionally. At the same time, limited resources make expansion a challenge.

On the demand side we see potential for growth. There is still a considerable number of young people who are curious about STEM but lack either the understanding of professions and career paths which can impact motivation and excitement. They can also lack orientation on what kind of educational offer suits them?

In order to achieve a better outcome for those groups, we are bundling our efforts in two ways: 

• A joint communication and branding strategy that attracts young people on an emotional and practical level.
• A common agenda to act as a unified player