On 14 October 2026, EXCEED – Excellence in Green and Digital Manufacturing took part in Erasmus Days 2026 with the online event “Boosting attractiveness and career opportunities in Advanced Manufacturing for girls and women”.

The green and digital transitions are opening new opportunities in advanced manufacturing and in technical and vocational education and training. Yet women are still a minority, both in the workforce and in the study and training pathways that lead to these jobs.

Watch the video exhibition

At the heart of the event was a video exhibition bringing together the voices of six women working, studying and doing research in technical fields: a product manager in robotics, an HR manager, a VET student training as an auto electrician, two researchers and an innovation director in industry.

Their testimonies tell different stories with common threads:

  • Curiosity comes first. For some, the interest in technology started in childhood. Others did not plan this career at all and discovered it along the way.
  • The beginning is not always easy. Learning hands-on technical skills, facing self-doubt and impostor syndrome, and working in male-dominated environments are real challenges, but they can be overcome.
  • Support makes the difference. Families, teachers, mentors, champions and female role models were key at every stage of their careers.
  • Companies and schools have a role to play. Few women still apply for technical positions. Partnerships between companies and primary schools, high schools and universities can help girls discover their real interests and potential early on.

With this video, EXCEED aims to make careers in advanced manufacturing more visible, attractive and inclusive, and to offer girls and young women concrete role models for their future choices.

Featuring: Lucrezia Morabito (Comau), Claudia Tondelli (Rehlko), Renata Bílá (VET student, Auto Electrician), Niina Torniainen (Oulu University of Applied Sciences), Sara Egidi (Tetra Pak), Dr. Ebun Akinsete (Athena Research Center).

Follow EXCEED on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/exceed-cove/

Project id n. 101103982. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.