The Netherlands is facing a growing shortage of technical talent. More than 71,000 engineering and technology vacancies remain unfilled, with demand in the Brainport region continuing to outpace supply. At the same time, a significant part of the available talent pool remains untapped: only 8% of the engineering workforce is female.
This is not a shortage of talent, but a shortage of visibility, representation and role models. From an early age, girls are exposed to stereotypes about engineering and technology, making them less likely to see these fields as a natural choice for their education or future careers.
Driven by this belief, PSV and Fe+male Tech Heroes joined forces. Together with a consortium consisting of Cisco, Driessen Groep, Simac, Mansveld, Tibo-Veen and High Tech Campus, they are working towards one shared ambition: inspiring more girls to choose engineering and technology.
Why PSV?
The strength of this partnership lies in the parallel between women's football and engineering. Both worlds demonstrate that talent can only truly flourish when it is visible, supported and encouraged by relatable role models.
PSV Women therefore provides a credible and inspiring platform to introduce girls to engineering and technology. Every day, the players inspire young girls to push boundaries and show that traditional stereotypes do not have to define the choices they make.
By connecting the inspirational power of sport with the opportunities offered by engineering and technology, this partnership goes far beyond sponsorship. It brings together sport, education and industry to address a shared societal challenge.
The ambition is clear: by 2030, choosing engineering and technology should be the norm for girls.
To achieve this, the partners developed a shared strategy in which every target group plays a distinct role. After all, primary school pupils require a different approach than secondary school students choosing a subject profile or young adults taking their first steps into the labour market.
That is why Fe+male Tech Heroes focuses not only on girls themselves, but also on the people who influence their decisions, including parents, teachers and mentors. This creates an approach that supports every stage of the talent development journey.
Year 1: Building a strong foundation
The first season was dedicated to establishing a solid foundation. Rather than organising as many standalone activations as possible, the focus was on developing an integrated programme in which digital storytelling, education and live experiences reinforce one another.
Online, the 'Where Do You Stand?' campaign invited PSV Women's players to share their personal stories about school, the choices they made and their ambitions in the lead-up to students selecting their educational pathways. By doing so, engineering and technology became more personal, relatable and accessible to young girls.
Offline, a range of activations brought sport and technology together in practice. During the Fe+male Tech Heroes Fan Zone around the PSV-Ajax match, hundreds of children explored engineering through interactive activities hosted by the consortium partners. On Girls' Day, PSV opened the doors of the Philips Stadium to sixty secondary school students, giving them a behind-the-scenes look at the technology that powers elite sport while introducing them to the wide range of career opportunities within the sector.
By connecting existing regional initiatives with the inspirational power and reach of the PSV brand, the partnership created a programme that extends far beyond a series of individual events.
During its first year, Fe+male Tech Heroes reached:
148,000 young people through online content and communications;
9,160 children and young people through live activations and educational experiences.
But reach was never the ultimate goal.
As part of the programme, research was conducted to assess the actual impact of the activities on perceptions of engineering and technology. Among 273 respondents across five different activations, half (50%) were girls. Within this group, the partnership demonstrated a measurable shift in attitudes:
46% of girls said engineering and technology had become more interesting because of PSV x Fe+male Tech Heroes.
45% developed a more positive perception of engineering and technology.
40% could now see a future for themselves in engineering and technology.
These results show that the partnership does more than generate awareness—it helps change perceptions and inspires girls to see new possibilities for their future.
On the road to 2030
The first season has laid the foundation for the years ahead. Together with PSV, educational institutions and the consortium partners, the programme will continue to grow, with a shared ambition to introduce more girls to engineering and technology and ultimately inspire them to pursue a future in the sector.
Curious to learn more about the programme's activities, results and key insights? Download the full Fe+male Tech Heroes impact sheet here.
