Frequently Asked Questions

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction (EIT STEM Talent) is an EU-funded initiative led by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It supports access to STEM learning and career pathways across Europe.

The Initiative creates, connects and promotes high-quality STEM opportunities through a Europe-wide network of organisations that deliver, promote or fund STEM training and related opportunities.

Europe needs a larger, more diverse STEM workforce. Too many people, particularly young people, girls, women and people from diverse backgrounds, do not see STEM careers as an accessible path for them.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction aims to help address this challenge by supporting people across Europe to access STEM learning and career pathways. Its wider ambition is to contribute to a larger, more diverse and entrepreneurial STEM talent pipeline that strengthens Europe’s innovation capacity and global competitiveness.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction sits within the European Commission’s STEM Education Strategic Plan and wider Union of Skills agenda.

The Initiative contributes to these priorities by supporting access to STEM careers and helping people develop the competencies Europe needs through STEM induction activities, learning opportunities and training.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction is an EIT-led initiative that works through the EIT Community and its wider network.

The Initiative draws on the reach and networks of the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) to engage prospective Talents, while also working with partners (known as Pledgers) who deliver or fund STEM training, promote STEM learning opportunities, raise awareness and encourage participation.

The EIT leads and funds EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction. It enables the development of new training opportunities and draws on the EIT Community and its networks to engage prospective Talents and Pledgers.

The Initiative also works with a Europe-wide network of organisations that deliver or fund STEM training and other learning opportunities.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction is intended for people looking to explore, enter or progress in STEM – from upper secondary and vocational learners to university students, career changers and adults developing new skills.

The Initiative particularly seeks to reach young people, girls, women and people from diverse backgrounds, including people discovering STEM fields for the first time and those looking to re-engage through upskilling or reskilling.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. For EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction, however, STEM is understood more broadly than a group of four subject areas.

The Initiative defines STEM capability across three dimensions: Conceptual Foundations (Know), Procedural Application (Do) and Innovation Mindset (Become).

Together, these cover the knowledge, practical application and mindset needed to understand, apply and create through STEM.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction uses the International Standard Classification of Education – Fields of Education and Training (ISCED-F) to classify its core STEM subject areas.

These include:

• Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics (ISCED-F 05)
• Information and Communication Technologies (ISCED-F 06)
• Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction (ISCED-F 07)

The Initiative’s scope also extends to interdisciplinary STEM domains that span different fields, reflecting the way many contemporary STEM challenges cross disciplinary boundaries.

For EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction, STEM competence goes beyond technical knowledge. It includes the ability to understand, apply and create.

This means developing knowledge and understanding of STEM concepts, applying that knowledge through problem-solving, design and experimentation, and developing the curiosity, resilience, ethical judgement, human-centred and entrepreneurial thinking needed to turn ideas into real-world impact.

The EIT STEM Competence Framework is EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction’s framework for describing STEM capability across three complementary dimensions:

Conceptual Foundations (Know) – the technical knowledge, scientific principles and disciplinary understanding at the core of STEM.

Procedural Application (Do) – the ability to apply knowledge in practice through problem-solving, design and experimentation.

Innovation Mindset (Become) – the curiosity, resilience, ethical judgement, human-centred thinking and entrepreneurial thinking that can turn ideas into real-world impact.

Together, these provide a broader understanding of STEM capability that reflects the realities of contemporary STEM education, innovation and careers.

The framework provides a common way of understanding the STEM competences that learning opportunities can help people develop.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction supports learning across the three dimensions – knowledge, practical application and innovation mindset – rather than defining STEM through technical subject knowledge alone.

The framework is not itself a course or qualification; it provides a common understanding of the competences supported through the Initiative’s learning opportunities.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction supports people looking to explore, enter or progress in STEM.

This includes upper secondary students and vocational learners, university students, career changers and adults developing new skills. The Initiative particularly seeks to reach young people, girls, women and people from diverse backgrounds.

EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction connects people with STEM learning opportunities delivered through its network of partners and the wider EIT Community.

These can include courses in emerging fields, STEM competency training, mentorship, innovation and entrepreneurship modules, and other learning activities. The Initiative also funds the development of new training programmes across Europe.

The exact opportunities available depend on the programmes and organisations participating in the Initiative.

There is no single entry requirement for all EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction opportunities. Individual courses and programmes may have their own requirements.

The Initiative is designed to support people looking to explore, enter or progress in STEM, including people discovering STEM for the first time and people looking to re-engage through upskilling or reskilling.

You can explore the learning opportunities available through EIT STEM Tech Talent Induction and consider what best matches your interests, existing knowledge, learning level and educational or career goals.

The Initiative’s website is intended to help people discover opportunities and understand different routes into STEM training and careers, including through pathway guidance.

Participating can help you develop STEM competences, explore STEM fields and discover new learning and career pathways.

Depending on the opportunity, you may develop technical knowledge, practical skills through problem-solving, design and experimentation, or innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. You may also gain access to mentorship and other learning activities.

For people already working in STEM, opportunities can support upskilling, reskilling or re-engagement as technologies, industries and careers evolve.