This week, national figures were shared on an issue that should move us as a country: the number of young people who neither study nor work (NEETs) has already surpassed 330,000, a figure that has grown by 1.5% in the past year. This reflects a loss of opportunities for thousands of people and a high economic and social cost for the country. The data shows that the problem hits women hardest. Youth unemployment hovers around 22%, reaching up to 25% among women.
Meanwhile, the jobs of the future lie in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which tend to have high labor market insertion and an average income higher than other fields. However, at the university level, women represent only 21% of students in these careers, and in higher technical education, the figure drops to 17%. This gap not only reproduces inequalities but also leaves women out of sectors with better development prospects.
To reverse this situation, we need policies that facilitate educational reintegration, quality training programs connected to the labor market, and early career guidance that brings girls and young women closer to careers with high employability. But it is also urgent to break down stereotypes and highlight stories of women who have paved the way in these fields.
