The presence of female students in STEM professional families (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in Andalusia has increased by 73.1% in the last six years, going from 3,918 enrolled female students in 2018-2019 to 6,782 this academic year. The growth of students in these disciplines is 36.29%, as the number of enrollments has increased from 37,191 to 50,689 in 2024. These data were provided by the Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training, María del Carmen del Castillo, in the context of the commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th.
The minister explained that, although the gender gap is gradually decreasing, female students studying STEM represent only 9.44% of the total number of vocational training families in Andalusia. In this sense, María del Carmen Castillo pointed out that «the low presence of women in STEM professional families has a negative impact on society, as it loses female talent that brings new perspectives necessary for the scientific and technological innovation of Andalusia.» Therefore, she noted that «from the Ministry, we will continue to work on the elimination of gender stereotypes, as well as on the promotion of female role models in professional families related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.»
In the last six years, the ten STEM professional families set by the National Institute of Educational Evaluation (Building and Civil Works, Electricity and Electronics, Energy and Water, Mechanical Manufacturing, Food Industries, Extractive Industries, Computer Science and Communications, Installation and Maintenance, Chemistry, and Transportation, and Vehicle Maintenance) have experienced an increase in the percentage of female students enrolled in full programs. This growth is particularly significant in the branch of Extractive Industries, where currently 42.19% of students are women, representing a 38.34% increase in the last six years. This increase is mainly due to the success of the Medium Grade in Natural Stone, taught at the IES Juan Rubio Ortiz in Macael (Almería). This program, fully dual since the 2021-2022 school year, uses the facilities of the company Cosentino in Cantoria (Almería), thanks to the collaboration agreement signed by the company and the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training. Since then, the number of female students has always been higher than male students, reaching 65% this year.
More female students in Chemistry
Although Extractive Industries show the highest growth, the STEM professional family with the most women in Andalusian classrooms is Chemistry, with 57.45% of female students enrolled this year, an increase of 2.58% from 2018. Additionally, considering the 25 families implemented in Andalusia, Chemistry ranks fifth. Also noteworthy is the presence of women in the Medium Grade in Laboratory Operations (66.29%), the Higher Grades in the Manufacture of Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological, and Related Products (66.35%) and Laboratory Analysis and Quality Control (65.94%), as well as the Specialization Course in Higher Grade in Cell Cultures (79.55%). This last course, implemented in 2020-2021, is a commitment by the Ministry to offer teachings that delve into specific areas of knowledge to prepare professionals to face the challenges of Andalusia’s economic and productive system.
The second STEM professional family with the most female students is Food Industries (56.46% of enrollments), where there has been a 4% increase since 2018, thanks to the implementation of 38 new training programs. Six out of the eight qualifications that can be taken in this field have more women than men enrolled: Basic Grade in Bakery and Pastry Activities (61.54%), Basic Grade for individuals with special educational needs in Bakery and Pastry Activities (58.33%), Medium Grades in Bakery, Pastry, and Confectionery (68.21%), Manufacture of Food Products (52.08%), Higher Grades in Processes and Quality in the Food Industry (63.41%), and Viticulture (56.63%).
Except for Building and Civil Works, with 28.16% female students enrolled in 2024-2025, the rest of the STEM professional families have a female presence of less than 10%, although some programs stand out, such as the Higher Grade in Optics for Eyewear and Mechanical Manufacturing, which has experienced a 13.87% growth in the last six years, with currently 81.67% of students being women.
In Building and Civil Works, the greatest increase since 2018, 11.71%, has occurred in the Medium Grade in Interior, Decoration, and Rehabilitation Works, while in the Electricity and Electronics family, the most male-dominated in Andalusia, it is the Higher Grade in Clinical Electromedicine that has seen an 8.73% increase in female enrollments in the last six years.
In the Installation and Maintenance professional family, three programs stand out in terms of female presence in classrooms this year: Higher Grade in Occupational Risk Prevention (43.33% of female students enrolled), the Specialization Course in Higher Grade in Construction Information Modeling (32.43%), and Basic Grade in Home Maintenance (18.60%).
Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance family
The Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance family has seen a 2.03% increase in female students enrolled since 2018, although it still has a high male presence. Within this family, two programs are especially notable, being offered for the first time this year in Andalusia in publicly funded centers: the Medium Grade in Road Transport Vehicle Driving at IES La Palma (La Palma del Condado, Huelva), with 36.36% women, and the Higher Grade in Maintenance of Electronic Systems and Avionics in Aircraft at CPIFP Javier Imbroda in San José de la Rinconada (Seville), with 25% of female students enrolled.
This integrated center participates in the ‘Women Fly’ project of ES San José de La Rinconada, which has planned several visits this year with 4th year ESO and 1st and 2nd year Baccalaureate students to the Airbus facilities in the Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology Park of Andalusia, in La Rinconada, Seville, as well as to CPIFP Javier Imbroda. The aim of the project is to promote the interest of female students in STEM disciplines, by introducing them to the career and professional opportunities in the aerospace and technological fields.
Despite the progress and the growing demand for professional profiles associated with STEM studies, female students still prefer other vocational training areas in Andalusia. In full programs, they opt for families oriented towards service and care, such as Socio-Cultural and Community Services (88.66% of enrollments), Personal Image (85.81%), Health (81.69%), or Textile, Clothing, and Leather teachings (70.53%).