Has Herningsholm Business School become 'woke'? Or is it just common sense and good business practice to work with gender diversity? Quality brings quantity. That’s the strategy at Herningsholm Business School & Gymnasiums. The educational institution’s 430 employees welcome almost 8,000 students and course participants every year, all of whom must be met with quality. That’s why gender diversity is a top priority.

“Working with diversity is working with quality. We want to serve our business community, and it seems odd to only fish from half of the population,” says director Allan Andreasen Kortnum, explaining that the vocational education sector already has significant diversity in age, as they receive students directly from primary school as well as some who may have been in the workforce for 30 years. However, gender diversity is lacking, and that needs to change.

“When more women enter the education system, new solutions are brought to the table because they often have a different approach than men. This way, the field can meet the customer’s needs in more ways, and that’s a huge strength. At the same time, the women bring along a new type of men. They change the culture in a way that allows more men to see themselves in it. Many people don’t like a harsh tone, and women help soften the language,” says Allan Andreasen Kortnum, thus highlighting the overall strategy that quality brings quantity—by prioritizing diversity, the school attracts more students.

Concrete measures are making a noticeable difference

Herningsholm’s work on diversity started four years ago, and several measures have already been implemented or are on their way. For example, they conducted a study on sexism, which has been worked on by the board, the cooperation committee, and individual departments. "Now we teach our staff what good behavior looks like here. There are many dilemmas. For example, should we give a hug if a young person is upset? Such things need to be addressed," says Allan Andreasen Kortnum.

The school has also reviewed its physical facilities and decided that the changing rooms should be of equal size. "Until now, women have had to change in, for example, a handicap toilet. We’re now creating equally sized changing rooms because it also sends a message that we believe equal numbers of both genders will come."

Another example of the challenges faced can be seen during breaks when primary school students are invited to the school for transition programs to see if vocational education is for them. The school has noticed that breaks are hard to handle. "As long as there’s a program, everything is fine. But in the break, girls often don’t have anyone to sit with. We all know that feeling from courses when we suddenly feel alone, so we look at our phones or take a walk. We need to understand that this can be a difficult situation," says Allan Andreasen Kortnum, pointing to an issue that can also be sensitive in workplaces. After all, it can be hard if you're always the only woman in the work van. Herningsholm is currently considering whether structured breaks could be part of the solution.

Fremgang ses i tørre tal

Tallene viser, at Herningsholm-ligestillingen er på rette vej. Halvdelen af eleverne hos snedkerne er nu kvinder, og hele ni kvinder har i år tilmeldt sig grundforløbet for tømrere. Det er en god fremgang, da der de seneste fire år var ti kvindelige ansøgere i alt.

”Jeg har talt med de nye, og de peger på, at de kender andre kvinder, som går her. At en søster eller veninde også er tilmeldt, har stor betydning – også i forhold til at gennemføre. For kønsminoritet giver større risiko for frafald. Det ser man også på andre uddannelser, fx mænd på SOSU-uddannelser. Rollemodeller har betydning. ”Netop derfor har Herningsholm etableret Netværksgruppen Q’, der er et netværk for kvindelige elever, som mødes på tværs af de tekniske uddannelser. Her kan kvinderne støtte hinanden og se, at der er andre på skolen som dem. Desuden samarbejder Herningsholm med Boss Ladies; et nationalt forandringsprojekt, der arbejder for at skabe kulturforandringer på erhvervsuddannelserne.

Indsatsen er med andre ord omfattende og langvarig. Men Allan Andreasen Kortnum mener, at den på alle måder er lige, som den skal være: ”Der er ikke noget ’woke’ over, at vi har et kvindefokus. Vi skal gøre det, som er sund fornuft – og det er det at have fokus på kvinder.”

Gender Imbalance – A Relic from the Past

Men and women’s physicality is different. That’s why there were good reasons why, in the past, it was mainly men who became craftsmen. But today, work processes are automated, and tools ensure that jobs aren’t as physically demanding as they used to be. Moreover, the law sets limits on how much, for example, one can lift.

In short, the path is cleared for women to see themselves in the trades and to be selected as apprentices.

Herningsholm Business School & Gymnasiums offers many gender-imbalanced programs, but is working purposefully to create a better balance in the classrooms.

Examples from the Initiative:

• Physical spaces reviewed through a ‘diversity lens.’ This has led to new changing rooms.

• Women in marketing who profile technical professions, including female ambassadors at bridging programs, Open Houses, etc.

• Establishment of the Q network group, where women meet across technical education programs.

• Development of HTX with sports to achieve an even distribution of boys and girls.

• Collaboration with Boss Ladies, a national transformation project working to challenge stereotypes and create cultural change in vocational education. The goal is also to strengthen the professional pride of young women and contribute to better internships and increased well-being in both educational programs and businesses in the industries.

• Sale of workwear for women, an underprioritized area that causes problems with fit and, consequently, well-being.

• The Q Network Group

Herningsholm has established the Q network group, which is a network for female students who meet across technical education programs.

Here, women can:

• Meet to discuss things like finding internships and everyday life at school and in their internships.

• Hear about opportunities for further education and starting their own businesses.

• Participate in various events.

• Meet role models from their own and other educational programs, and perhaps become a role model within the network or for girls in primary school.

• Establish contact with women from companies and educational institutions who are skilled professionals and can tell about their jobs and the path they took.