MINT-Berufe
Der Bedarf an hochqualifizierten Fachkräften in Deutschland in den Bereichen Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften und Technik (MINT) steigt durch die zunehmende Digitalisierung und Dekarbonisierung seit Jahren. Eine nachhaltige Sicherung des Fachkräftenachwuchses kann u. a. dadurch realisiert werden, die berufliche bzw. akademische Ausbildungen in MINT-Fächern attraktiv zu gestalten, mehr Frauen für MINT-Berufe zu begeistern und die Zuwanderung von Fachkräften mit MINT-Qualifikationen zu vereinfachen.
Dieses Themendossier bietet aktuelle wissenschaftliche Literatur zum Thema MINT Berufsfelder. Im Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
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Literaturhinweis
Disaggregating Gender Income Disparities in STEM: Cohort and Family Factors in a Nordic Welfare State (2026)
Zitatform
Bairoh, Susanna, Satu Pyöriä & Niklas Mäkinen (2026): Disaggregating Gender Income Disparities in STEM: Cohort and Family Factors in a Nordic Welfare State. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 113-134. DOI:10.1177/09500170251366157
Abstract
"The article examines the income trajectories of women and men in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in Finland, a country within the Nordic labour market context that strives for gender equality. The study uses total population register data from Finnish STEM degree holders with at least a bachelor’s degree, aged 30–40 years, selecting cohorts born in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980 (N = 31,865). This study estimates how cohort, becoming a parent, and co-residing with a spouse affect income trajectories for women and men. The findings reveal persistent gender income disparities across cohorts, with economic turbulence potentially widening the differences. The results support the motherhood penalty and, unexpectedly, address a ‘living-alone penalty’ for men. Even with a design examining STEM graduates at the same career stage, gender differences remain significant and are not alleviated by the Nordic welfare state context." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Women in STEM careers through the lens of career construction theory: A study on females' experiences in persisting in the engineering field (2026)
Zitatform
Bonesso, Sara & Federica Bressan (2026): Women in STEM careers through the lens of career construction theory: A study on females' experiences in persisting in the engineering field. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 164. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104204
Abstract
"The persistence of female segregation in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and occupational fields is largely ascribed to gender-specific barriers that women face during their lifespan. Relying on career construction theory, this study aims to increase the understanding of how women in STEM craft and develop their own career over time by attaining leadership positions, in comparison to their male counterparts. In this inductive qualitative research, drawing on career-based interviews on a sample of women and men in engineering, the narrative analysis reveals dynamic changes in women's career adaptability's resources (the 4C's: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence) across specific phases of the lifespan (education, early career, and upper leadership). This study expands our understanding of the role of women's agency in shaping their STEM careers, delineating the specific configurations of career adaptability resources they can deploy to constructively navigate their professional journey. Moreover, because career adaptability changes in response to environmental conditions, this study provides novel insights about the interplay between career adaptability resources and the most relevant contextual factors that support or inhibit women in the pursuit of their career development during each career phase. Overall, our research provides evidence that a lifespan approach to career development is particularly effective in sectors that are still characterized by gender norms. Practical implications are provided for women to help them self-regulate their careers, as well as for educational and organizational policies to help address the underrepresentation of women in the STEM workforce." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, ©2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Geschlechtergerecht gestalten: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik (2026)
Zitatform
Bothfeld, Silke, Christian Hohendanner, Petra Schütt & Aysel Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik. Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 471 S. DOI:10.12907/978-3-593-45932-5
Abstract
"Trotz zahlreicher Bemühungen und Erfolge in der Gleichstellungspolitik seit Ende der 1990er Jahre bestehen in der Praxis nach wie vor erhebliche geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Frauen haben nach wie vor geringere Erfolgsaussichten beim Zugang und beim Verbleib in Beschäftigung, ihre Bezahlung und ihre Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten sind schlechter. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes bieten einen umfassenden Überblick über die aktuelle geschlechtsbezogene Arbeits(marktpolitik-)forschung. Mit einem multiperspektivischen Blick auf den vergeschlechtlichten Arbeitsmarkt gelingt es dem Band, historische Aspekte, Gegenwartsanalysen sowie gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse und Lösungsansätze zu verbinden." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Gender pay gap trends across STEM fields: an empirical analysis (2026)
Zitatform
Cruz, João, Amélia Bastos, Sara Falcão Casaca & Isabel Proença (2026): Gender pay gap trends across STEM fields: an empirical analysis. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 46, H. 3-4, S. 426-447. DOI:10.1108/ijssp-02-2025-0090
Abstract
"Purpose: This paper analyses the gender pay gap (GPG) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in Portugal over the past decade, utilising official national earnings data. Design/methodology/approach: A decomposition method is applied to estimate the explained and unexplained components of the GPG both at the mean and across the distribution quartiles of national earnings. This methodology can also be applied to other sectors or countries, providing robust statistical and econometric results relating to the GPG. Findings: The results show that the GPG varies heterogeneously across STEM fields. In occupations relating to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which are included in STEM, the GPG has been widening in recent years, in contrast to the overall trend in the labour force. Originality/value: The GPG in STEM is under-researched, with existing literature indicating a structural gap in these occupations. Understanding this GPG is essential for its reduction and for maximising human capital, which is vital for social and economic growth. This article aims to contribute to the discussion on this topic and offers potential policy recommendations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
STEM employment resiliency during recessions: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic (2026)
Zitatform
Davis, James C., Holden A. Diethorn, Gerald R. Marschke & Andrew J. Wang (2026): STEM employment resiliency during recessions: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: Research Policy, Jg. 55, H. 1. DOI:10.1016/j.respol.2025.105361
Abstract
"STEM occupational employment suffered smaller peak-to-trough percentage declines than non-STEM employment during both the Great Recession and COVID-19 recession, suggesting a relative resiliency of STEM employment during recessions in the digital age. We exploit the sudden peak-to-trough declines in STEM and non-STEM employment during the COVID-19 recession to measure STEM recession-resiliency during the pandemic, decomposing our difference-in-differences estimate into parts explained by various sources including differences in demographics, educational attainment, job tasks, remote work capability, industry, and STEM knowledge importance on the job. We find that STEM knowledge importance on the job explains the greatest share of STEM employment resiliency, and that workers in non-STEM occupations who nonetheless use STEM knowledge experienced higher employment rates during the pandemic. We show that R&D expenditures and employment also remained resilient, suggesting only a mild effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on innovative activity. Altogether, our findings suggest that increasing opportunities for STEM training — including outside the college-track — may help improve the employment resiliency of workers during future recessions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Doing, redoing, or undoing gender of women tech founders in Germany (2026)
Zitatform
Kneip, Veronika & Melanie Slavici (2026): Doing, redoing, or undoing gender of women tech founders in Germany. In: International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Jg. 22, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s11365-025-01103-7
Abstract
"The study focuses on German tech startups, scrutinizing what visibility women founders consider important . In this respect, to what extent they perceive “visibility” in a gendered way is particularly striking. Consequently, we ask what women founders actively do to create a particular gender-(in)dependent visibility : how do they locate themselves in the three-way interplay of reproducing the dualism of masculinity–femininity (doing gender), restructuring it (redoing gender), or eliminating it (undoing gender)? Via our dataset of 20 qualitative interviews with all-women or mixed-gender founding teams, we divide the results of our inductive analysis into gender-independent and gender-dependent dimensions. While the women founders primarily do not understand “visibility as a startup” as gendered at the organizational level, gendered self-images at the individual level exist. Organizational visibility is shaped by phases, target groups, and instruments. For individual, gender-dependent visibility, we find the three ideal types of the (internal or external) feminist, the pragmatic strategist, and the gender neutrality advocate. We link our empirical findings to the opportunities and challenges of doing, redoing, and undoing gender, showing that women tech founders are actively undoing gender in many areas. Our research provides linkages to current debates in women’s entrepreneurship literature, such as entrepreneurial identity or discourses of hypervisibility. Moreover, we deliver practical implications on how to gear women-specific networks, accelerators, and the like toward the actual needs of women founders." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Indische Beschäftigte verdienen weiterhin am meisten (2026)
Plünnecke, Axel;Zitatform
Plünnecke, Axel (2026): Indische Beschäftigte verdienen weiterhin am meisten. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2026,01), Köln, 3 S.
Abstract
"Die qualifizierte Zuwanderung leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag zur MINT-Fachkräftesicherung und stärkt die Innovationskraft Deutschlands. Erfolge der qualifizierten Zuwanderung zeigen sich auch bei den Medianbruttolöhnen: Während deutsche Vollzeitbeschäftigte Ende 2024 bei 4.177 Euro liegen, erreichen Beschäftigte aus Indien einen Medianlohn von 5.393 Euro. Dieser Unterschied ist darauf zurückzuführen, dass ein großer Anteil der indischen Beschäftigten in akademischen MINT-Berufen tätig ist." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Unlikely Organizers: The Rise of Tech Worker Labor Activism (2026)
Zitatform
Tan, JS, Natalia Luka & Emily Mazo (2026): Unlikely Organizers: The Rise of Tech Worker Labor Activism. In: ILR review, Jg. 79, H. 2, S. 187-216. DOI:10.1177/00197939251375319
Abstract
"Tech workers —professionals in the technology industry, such as software engineers, product managers, and UX designers—are not normally associated with labor activism. Yet, since 2017, there has been a significant rise in workplace activism over “bread-and-butter” issues among this group. Using an original data set, the authors demonstrate how, in the case of tech workers, periods of intense workplace social activism preceded later periods of heightened labor activism. Regression analysis confirms that participation in social activism increases the likelihood of labor activism six months to one year later at the same company. Extending Rick Fantasia’s cultures of solidarity to professional workers, the authors highlight a new mechanism by which professionals engage in labor organizing: First, tech workers, guided by their professional interest in socially beneficial work, engage in workplace social activism. This action generates solidarity among employee-participants but also creates conflict with management and leads to the emergence of labor activism among professionals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Regrets, she's had a few: Gender and regret of computer science and engineering degrees (2026)
Zitatform
VanHeuvelen, Tom, Natasha Quadlin & Jordyn Wald (2026): Regrets, she's had a few: Gender and regret of computer science and engineering degrees. In: Social science research, Jg. 135. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103298
Abstract
"In this article, we introduce a novel social fact that will be highly relevant for studies of gender inequality: women in computer science and, to a lesser extent, engineering fields report distinctly high levels of regret of their field of study compared to otherwise similar men. We develop expectations regarding gendered patterns of regret and examine them using nine waves of the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) between 2015 and 2023. Using regression decomposition techniques, we demonstrate that observed economic, occupation, industry, and sociodemographic characteristics fare poorly in explaining the high regret of women in these fields. In fact, these fields are defined by a uniquely large unexplained amount of regret among women. Our findings raise alarm for those who wish to open access to these critical CS/Engineering fields for women: such endeavors will likely fail unless deep cultural work is done to change the regret that many women feel after successfully entering these fields." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
MINT-Herbstreport 2025: MINT-Zuwanderung über die Hochschulen: Ein Beitrag zu Wachstum und Wohlstand (2025)
Anger, Christina; Plünnecke, Axel; Geis-Thöne, Wido; Betz, Julia;Zitatform
Anger, Christina, Julia Betz, Wido Geis-Thöne & Axel Plünnecke (2025): MINT-Herbstreport 2025: MINT-Zuwanderung über die Hochschulen. Ein Beitrag zu Wachstum und Wohlstand. (IW-Gutachten / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln), Köln, 20 S.
Abstract
"Die Ausbildung und Beschäftigung von MINT-Fachkräften, MINT-Spezialistinnen und -Spezialisten sowie MINT-Expertinnen und -Experten ist zentral für die Innovationskraft Deutschlands. Studien belegen, dass Regionen mit hohem MINT-Beschäftigtenanteil langfristig innovativer und wirtschaftlich erfolgreicher sind." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
MINT-Frühjahrsreport 2025: Arbeitsmarktbericht – Gute Gründe für MINT (2025)
Anger, Christina; Plünnecke, Axel; Betz, Julia;Zitatform
Anger, Christina, Julia Betz & Axel Plünnecke (2025): MINT-Frühjahrsreport 2025. Arbeitsmarktbericht – Gute Gründe für MINT. (IW-Gutachten / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln), Köln, 96 S.
Abstract
"Im April 2025 lagen in den MINT-Berufen insgesamt rund 387.100 zu besetzende Stellen vor. Gleichzeitig waren bundesweit 248.757 Personen arbeitslos gemeldet, die gerne einem MINT-Erwerbsberuf nachgehen würden. Daraus lässt sich in einem ersten Schritt im Rahmen einer unbereinigten Betrachtung ableiten, dass über sämtliche Anforderungsniveaus bundesweit mindestens 138.343 offene Stellen in MINTBerufen nicht besetzt werden konnten. Unter Berücksichtigung des qualifikatorischen Mismatches resultiert für April 2025 eine über sämtliche 36 MINT-Berufskategorien aggregierte Arbeitskräftelücke in Höhe von 163.600 Personen. Mit 89.600 Personen bilden die MINT-Facharbeiterberufe im April 2025 die größte Engpassgruppe, gefolgt von 56.600 Personen im Segment der MINT-Expertenberufe sowie 17.400 im Segment der Spezialisten- beziehungsweise Meister- und Technikerberufe. Im Vergleich zum Vorjahreswert aus dem April 2024 mit 234.800 ist die MINT-Lücke um 30,3 Prozent gesunken. Differenziert man die Lücke nach MINT-Bereichen, so zeigen sich im April 2025 die größten Engpässe in den Energie-/Elektroberufen mit 57.800, in den Berufen der Maschinen- und Fahrzeugtechnik mit 32.400, in den Bauberufen mit 26.100, in den Berufen der Metallverarbeitung mit 24.200 und in den IT-Berufen mit 11.200. In sonstigen MINT-Berufen beträgt die Lücke 11.900." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
The gender gap in digital literacy: a cohort analysis for Germany (2025)
Zitatform
Bachmann, Ronald & Friederike Hertweck (2025): The gender gap in digital literacy: a cohort analysis for Germany. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 32, H. 5, S. 608-613. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2023.2277685
Abstract
"Digital skills are critical for promoting gender equality, economic empowerment, and bridging the digital divide. This paper presents stylized facts on the gender gap in digital literacy for a total of 35,661 individuals ranging from pupils to adults using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). We detect no gender gap in digital competences between boys and girls in lower secondary education, but the emergence of a gender gap from upper secondary education onwards. We also document that teenagers' access to digital devices is associated with higher digital skills – and sharing a computer with other household members is less detrimental for female than for male teenagers. For adults, we show that studying or working in a STEM-related field is positively associated with a female respondent's digital competences. This could be either due to digital literacy driving selection into STEM, or the effects of studying or working in STEM on digital competences. While we can identify several risk factors leading to lower digital competences, a decomposition exercise reveals that composition effects are unlikely to explain our findings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Keeping up with the Max Plancks? Germany’s quest for university excellence and the role of public research institutes in doctoral education (2025)
Zitatform
Bünstorf, Guido, Johannes König & Anne Otto (2025): Keeping up with the Max Plancks? Germany’s quest for university excellence and the role of public research institutes in doctoral education. In: Scientometrics, Jg. 130, H. 1, S. 67-108., 2024-10-21. DOI:10.1007/s11192-024-05195-w
Abstract
"Doctoral education is a crucial stage in the academic socialization of early-career researchers. Prior research has shown that career paths and activities of Ph.D.s are shaped by the universities and departments in which they were trained. To widen this focus, we analyze the role of public research organizations (PROs) and private-sector firms as organizational employment contexts of doctoral education. The empirical context of our study is Germany, where PROs and firms employ large numbers of doctoral candidates and provide the organizational environment for their dissertation research. Utilizing a novel process-generated dataset that covers about 40,000 STEM Ph.D.s who graduated from 1995 to 2011, we find that Ph.D.s employed at PROs during doctoral education are more likely to stay in academia than their university-employed peers. Despite extensive policy efforts that sought to strengthen the research performance of German universities, doctoral candidates employed at basic research-oriented PROs had the strongest cross-cohort increase in their post-graduation academic employment share. This group also experienced the most pronounced fall in the share of high post-graduation income owners. Industry-employed doctoral candidates are unlikely to migrate to the academic sector and have the highest likelihood of obtaining high post-graduation incomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer Nature) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Minding the gap(s): The uneven gendering of engineering and computing work across Europe (2025)
Zitatform
Charles, Maria (2025): Minding the gap(s): The uneven gendering of engineering and computing work across Europe. In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, S. 1-26. DOI:10.1177/00207152251372850
Abstract
"This study investigates variability across 31 European countries in the gender composition of engineering and computing (“tech”) occupations, and possible sociocultural drivers of this variability. As previously documented for other STEM domains and geographies, the largest tech gender gaps are in the most affluent societies of Europe (which are also most postmaterialist and gender-liberal culturally). Multilevel regression models explore key attitudinal and socioeconomic predictors of this gender segregation that have been identified through previous comparative research. Results show that men, but not women, who espouse postmaterialist values have higher odds of working in engineering or computing, and that the gender-specific effects of postmaterialist values account for a substantial share of cross-country variability. Findings are consistent with research suggesting a heightened salience of gender math stereotypes to career aspirations in societies that valorize individual self-expression and “doing what you love.”" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gender-essentialist beliefs and the gender gap in STEM: Evidence on the gender-essentialism theory (2025)
Zitatform
De Gioannis, Elena (2025): Gender-essentialist beliefs and the gender gap in STEM: Evidence on the gender-essentialism theory. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 59, H. S2, S. 1229-1251. DOI:10.1007/s11135-025-02057-2
Abstract
"Horizontal gender segregation persists and is higher in more developed countries (gender-equality paradox). According to the theory of gender essentialism, more developed countries are characterized by more individualism, which in turn pushes individuals to rely more on personal characteristics when deciding about their future careers. The presence of both essentialist beliefs on gender and the endorsement of the stereotypical beliefs that math and science are “for boys” could explain the so-called paradox. By exploiting the large dataset collected by Project Implicit, the study tested the different associations of gender essentialism and implicit and explicit gender stereotypes with attitudes toward science of young women aged 15–19 in 51 countries. The results confirmed that both essentialist and stereotypical beliefs are negatively associated with attitudes toward science, still with differences in the strength of the association. Furthermore, the association between gender essentialism and attitudes toward science is stronger in more developed countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
How to Attract Talent? Field-Experimental Evidence on Emphasizing Flexibility and Career Opportunities in Job Advertisements (2025)
Zitatform
Fuchs, Larissa, Matthias Heinz, Pia Pinger & Max Thon (2025): How to Attract Talent? Field-Experimental Evidence on Emphasizing Flexibility and Career Opportunities in Job Advertisements. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20916), London, 80 S.
Abstract
"We conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a leading technology firm to study how highlighting flexibility and career advancement in job advertisements causally affects the applicant pool. Highlighting career advancement increases the number of applications from men for entry-level positions and attracts additional applicants with strong qualifications and a good fit, which in turn leads to more interview invitations. By contrast, highlighting flexibility increases applications from both women and men at the entry level but provides limited evidence of attracting higher-quality or better-fit applicants. A complementary survey experiment among STEM students shows how job advertisements shape beliefs about the firm’s job characteristics and work environment. Overall, our results show that the amenities firms choose to highlight can powerfully influence both the size and characteristics of their applicant pool." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
International Students, Immigration Policies and Implications for Innovation (2025)
Zitatform
Ganguli, Ina & Megan MacGarvie (2025): International Students, Immigration Policies and Implications for Innovation. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34212), Cambridge, Mass, 25 S.
Abstract
"This paper examines the evolving trends and policy dynamics of international student migration, focusing on their implications for STEM workforce development and innovation. While the United States has remained a leading destination for international students, recent years have seen a plateau or decline in incoming students, contrasted by growth in countries like Canada, Australia, and emerging hubs such as China and India. International students, particularly in STEM fields, play a critical role in shaping host countries' innovation ecosystems, often transitioning to permanent residents and STEM workers. We review immigration policies, including post-graduation work and residency pathways, highlighting their varying impacts on student inflows and innovation. Policies in Canada and Australia have until recently eased these transitions, while restrictive measures in the U.S. and U.K. have posed challenges. By documenting these trends and policy shifts, we identify gaps in the literature and outline directions for future research at the intersection of international education, immigration, and innovation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Diverging pathways: first-year college courses and the gender gap in STEM degree attainment (2025)
Zitatform
Gelbgiser, Dafna & Oded Mcdossi (2025): Diverging pathways: first-year college courses and the gender gap in STEM degree attainment. In: Social forces, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1093/sf/soaf174
Abstract
"Gender differences in occupational plans in high school are an important predictor of the low representation of women among degree recipients in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Yet even among STEM-aspiring students, women are substantially less likely than men to obtain a STEM degree. Building on the educational literature on “curricular momentum” and recent evidence of the social and academic contexts of STEM introductory courses, this paper sheds light on the role played by first-year college courses in the diverging career pathways of men and women. Drawing on detailed transcript information of a nationally representative sample of US college students, we demonstrate that the proportion of STEM courses college students take during their first year and the gendered association between these courses and attainment are key explanations of gender differences in STEM degree attainment. Among students with similar STEM plans, men take a higher proportion of STEM courses than women, contributing to their advantage in STEM attainment. Even more consequential is the gendered association between STEM courses and degree attainment. The proportion of STEM courses in the first year of college is more predictive of men’s attainment thanwomen’s, especially among STEM-oriented students. These findings suggest colleges should look closely at the courses men and women take in their first year and ensure the institutional and social contexts of introductory STEM courses allow all students to pursue their aspirations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Bridging the gap: gender-specific preferences in STEM occupations in vocational education and training (2025)
Zitatform
Gutfleisch, Tamara & Richard Nennstiel (2025): Bridging the gap: gender-specific preferences in STEM occupations in vocational education and training. In: Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, Jg. 17. DOI:10.1186/s40461-025-00187-3
Abstract
"Women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been widely studied, particularly in the context of general and tertiary education. However, less is known about gendered STEM sorting within vocational education and training (VET), despite VET systems playing a key role in occupational gender segregation. This study investigates gender differences in the likelihood of choosing a STEM occupation in VET using nationally representative data from Switzerland. We examine to what extent commonly studied individual-level mechanisms—such as math achievement, math self-concept, and career values—can explain the gender gap in STEM participation. To assess whether these mechanisms operate similarly across educational pathways and outcome types, we compare students pursuing or intending to pursue VET to those aspiring to an academic degree, and examine three STEM-related outcomes: intended VET occupation, aspirations for a STEM job at age 30, and intentions to pursue a math-intensive job. We find that the gender gap in STEM participation is largest in VET occupations and considerably smaller for the other two outcomes. Moreover, a larger share of the gender gap can be explained regarding occupational aspirations as opposed to VET occupations, and among students aspiring to academic education. These findings suggest that theoretical models of STEM sorting should be adapted to better reflect the specific features of VET and the types of occupations it comprises." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Horses for Courses: Subject Differences in the Chances of Securing Different Types of Graduate Jobs in the UK (2025)
Zitatform
Hunt, Wil, B. Baldauf & C. Lyonette (2025): Horses for Courses: Subject Differences in the Chances of Securing Different Types of Graduate Jobs in the UK. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 54, H. 1, S. 228-248. DOI:10.1017/S0047279423000041
Abstract
"Analysis of the 2010/11 Longitudinal Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey shows that overly-simplistic conceptions of graduate success underestimate the value of obtaining a degree in some subjects. Using a skills-based classification of graduate jobs the research finds that maths and vocationally-oriented subjects associated with higher earnings returns (Belfield et al., 2018a, 2018b) – engineering, architecture, computer science and nursing – increase the chances of having an ‘Expert’ job compared to the average for all graduates. However, more generalist subjects that have been linked with lower earnings such as creative arts, languages and mass communication and documentation are better for accessing graduate jobs where creativity and ability to communicate is key. The research demonstrates the value of using a more nuanced conception of graduate jobs and shows that debate about the value of higher education needs to move away from a narrow focus on earnings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))