Future Is Female In STEM & Esports

The Barcelona work experience program was crafted by Nexgen Careers to provide a rich and diverse learning journey. Key components included:

• Immersive Project Work: The students jumped into a real-life storytelling project for Estamos Al Mando Podcast. This wasn’t just theory; it was a chance to use their creative and analytical skills in a professional media setting, seriously boosting their communication and teamwork abilities.
• Career Development: The Nexgen team led a workshop all about the future world of work. Based on that, the learners really dug deep, thinking about their own values, what drives them, their goals, and their skills. It was all about figuring out how they can design their lives – both personally and professionally – to align with their discoveries.
• Industry Deep Dives: The itinerary featured insightful visits to leading organizations, including Juno House, a hub for women entrepreneurs; EcoVadis, a global leader in sustainability ratings (a great example of STEM in action!); and El Templo Esports Centre, providing direct exposure to the professional esports ecosystem, and the role of women in the world of esports.
• Expert Masterclass: The program included a valuable guest talk from Sophie Hughes, DEI & Talent Partnership Manager of AllWomen, focusing on critical soft skills and networking strategies – essential components for career success in any field, and highly transferable to a wide range of future work environments.
• Professional Interaction & Networking: Throughout their time in Barcelona, students had direct opportunities to interact with and learn from local professionals, gaining firsthand perspectives on career paths in STEM and esports. The company visits and guest talks allowed the learners to see new professional environments and understand different company cultures.
• Introduction to LinkedIn: The numbers speak for themselves: up to 85% of all job openings are filled through professional networks, not public listings. This “hidden job market” is where true career opportunities often reside, making early engagement critical. The learners gained invaluable insights during a hands-on workshop, learning how to optimize their LinkedIn profiles and strategically connect with industry experts, positioning them for success in the competitive professional landscape.

We’re happy to share that the impact the program had on the students was profound and multifaceted. By the end of the program the participants showed an increase in confidence, gaining a clearer vision for their career trajectories within STEM, esports and beyond. The direct engagement with professionals fostered networking skills and provided inspiration through exposure to diverse role models and innovative work environments.

The hands-on project work and exposure to industries ensured students not only gained specific industry insights, they also developed transferable skills essential for the future of work, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication.

Beyond personal growth, the program served as a powerful example of experiential learning. It showed how a tailored, international work experience can bridge the gap between academic study and professional practice, enabling young learners to:

• Visualize their future careers in clear tangible ways.
• Develop practical skills directly applicable to their chosen fields.
• Build a foundational professional network even before entering higher education or the workforce.
• Enhance self-assurance, problem solving and adaptability through successful navigation of new challenges and environments.
• Acquire robust transferable skills that prepare them for the ever changing demands of the future world of work.

This program successfully demonstrated a framework that can work as a blueprint for providing enriching, high-impact learning experiences that directly contribute to the career readiness and personal development of learners. This program was focused on young females in Esports & STEM, but can be adapted to learners from other industries and backgrounds.