Por Redaccion 
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 on February 11th of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
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 professional families in Andalusia. In this regard, María del Carmen Castillo has 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 necessary perspectives 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 established by the National Institute for Educational Evaluation (Building and Civil Engineering, Electricity and Electronics, Energy and Water, Mechanical Manufacturing, Food Industries, Extractive Industries, Computer Science and Communications, Installation and Maintenance, Chemistry and Transport, and Vehicle Maintenance) have experienced an increase in the percentage of enrolled female students in full offerings. This growth is particularly significant in the field of Extractive Industries, where currently 42.19% of the students are women, representing a 38.34% increase in the last six years. This increase is mainly due to the success of the Medium Degree 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 that company and the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training. Since then, the number of enrolled women has always been higher than that of men, reaching 65% this academic year.
More female students in Chemistry
Although Extractive Industries experience the highest growth, the STEM professional family with the highest number of women in Andalusian classrooms is Chemistry, with 57.45% of female students enrolled this year, an increase of 2.58% compared to 2018. Additionally, considering the 25 families established in Andalusia, Chemistry ranks fifth. Likewise, the female presence is notable in the Medium Degree in Laboratory Operations (66.29%), the Higher Degrees in Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological, and Related Product Manufacturing (66.35%) and Laboratory Analysis and Quality Control (65.94%), as well as in the Specialization Course of Higher Degree in Cell Cultures (79.55%). This last program, implemented in 2020-2021, is a commitment of the Ministry to offer teachings that delve into specific areas of knowledge to prepare professionals to face the challenges of the economic and productive system of Andalusia.
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 of the eight qualifications that can be taken in this field have more women than men enrolled: Basic Degree in Bakery and Pastry Activities (61.54%), Basic Degree for people with special educational needs in Bakery and Pastry Activities (58.33%), Medium Degrees in Bakery, Pastry, and Confectionery (68.21%), Food Product Manufacturing (52.08%), Higher Degrees in Processes and Quality in the Food Industry (63.41%), and Viticulture (56.63%).
Except for Building and Civil Engineering, with 28.16% of 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 Degree in Optical Optics and Mechanical Manufacturing, which has experienced a growth of 13.87% in the last six years, with currently 81.67% of students being women.
In Building and Civil Engineering, the highest increase since 2018, 11.71%, has occurred in the Medium Degree in Interior Works, Decoration, and Rehabilitation, while in the Electricity and Electronics family, the most male-dominated in Andalusia, it is the Higher Degree 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 academic year: Higher Degree in Occupational Risk Prevention (43.33% of female students enrolled), the Specialization Course of Higher Degree in Construction Information Modeling (32.43%), and the Basic Degree in Home Maintenance (18.60%).
Family of Transport and Vehicle Maintenance
The Transport and Vehicle Maintenance family has increased the enrollment of female students by 2.03% since 2018, although it still has a high male presence. Within this family, two programs are particularly noteworthy this year, being offered for the first time in Andalusia in publicly funded centers: the Medium Degree in Road Transport Vehicle Driving, at the IES La Palma (La Palma del Condado, Huelva), with 36.36% female students, and the Higher Degree in Maintenance of Electronic Systems and Avionics in Aircraft, at the 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 the ES San José de La Rinconada, which has planned several visits this year with students from 4th grade of ESO and 1st and 2nd grade of Bachillerato to the Airbus facilities in the Aeronautical and Aerospace Technological Park of Andalusia, in La Rinconada, Seville, as well as to the CPIFP Javier Imbroda. The aim of the project is to foster the interest of female students in STEM disciplines, by presenting the job and professional opportunities in the aerospace and technological fields.
Despite the progress and the increasing demand for professional profiles associated with STEM studies, female students still prefer other areas of vocational training in Andalusia. In full offerings, they opt for professional families focused on service and care, such as Socio-Cultural Services and Community (88.66% of enrollments), Personal Image (85.81%), Health (81.69%), or Textile, Clothing, and Leather teachings (70.53%).