Girls train to become hairdressers, boys to become automotive mechatronics engineers: watering down such role allocations, that is the aim of the Girls' Day and, by now, also of the Boys' Day. Once a year, these "Future Days" provide pupils in fifth grade or above the opportunity to get a taste of uncharacteristic occupations - this year on the 25th of April.
Following the great success of the Girls' Future Day, introduced in 2001 and since then attended by 1.2 million female pupils with the purpose of learning about professions in the fields of technology, IT, the crafts and the natural sciences, a corresponding scheme was implemented for boys in 2011.
In the past two years, 70,000 pupils have taken part in the Boys' Day and have looked into occupations in the fields of, for example, social education, allied health-care and nursing.
The accompanying research reveals that the concept has a positive effect: Following "their" Future Day, one third of male and even two fifths of female participants felt they could imagine taking up an occupation that is rather uncharacteristic for their respective gender.
Businesses and other organisations wishing to use this venue to open up new horizons for potential young talent can register their respective proposals. The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) promotes this in its role as active partner of the initiatives.
The potential hosts not only have the option of inviting girls or boys for the 25th of April. They also can initiate participative activities, experiments, discussions and business operations investigations to take place on the Girls' Day and, respectively, the Boys' Day and they can also offer to supply support to a regional working group or set themselves up as a point of contact.
In the medium term, active participation in the Future Days can serve to open up important and diversified human resources for the future while at the same time demonstrating to a broader public the business's social commitment.