BREAKING THE CEILING. Soft skills to deconstruct the 'glass ceiling' and gender stereotypes in the workplace

The overall objective of our project was to provide women with the social skills to develop in a more autonomous and empowered way in work environments, so that they could increase their chances o...

The overall objective of our project was to provide women with the social skills to develop in a more autonomous and empowered way in work environments, so that they could increase their chances of breaking the glass ceiling and moving up the organisational chart of their organisations. At the same time we wanted women to improve their self-confidence. The aim was to reduce the huge gap in the number of women in positions of responsibility compared to men, thus bringing a feminine stamp to the way companies are managed and, ultimately, improving the employment situation of women in the EU. Specific objectives of the Breaking the Ceiling project were: • Understand the origin of the glass ceiling and the implications for women and society in general. • To understand the gender roles that construct this reality. • Deconstruct the corporate culture that hierarchically masculinised organisations. • Dismantle the mental structures that adapt women to this scheme. • To break down prejudices regarding the promotion of women to decision-making positions. • Understanding the value of soft skills and socio-emotional competencies in this process. • Involve all social actors in the fight against the glass ceiling.

The project activities were divided into work packages. Work Package 1 (Management) focused on documentation, timesheets, and contracts. Work Package 2 included defining 12 soft skills vital for women's career advancement: Active Listening, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Flexibility, Organization, Positive Work Ethic, Problem Solving, Self-Confidence, Teamwork, and Time Management. Partners each developed resources for two skills, creating a booklet, a self-evaluation tool, and 24 theoretical modules (two per skill). These resources were translated and uploaded to the project website. In Work Package 3, partners created 36 digital resources, conducted pilot testing, and summarized results in a common report. In May 2024, a meeting in Greece introduced the Best Practice Guide and video interviews. By August, partners interviewed 24 successful women and uploaded stories to YouTube. The project concluded in September 2024 in Iceland, with final evaluations and a review of outputs, ensuring impactful results.

The project delivered the following results: a booklet with the definition of 12 essential soft skills to help women overcome career barriers, a self-assessment tool to identify needs and weaknesses, and a training system with 24 theoretical modules (available online) to build these skills. Additionally, a resource bank of 36 tools (three per skill) was developed for practical training., two for slef-paced learning and one collaborative activity per skill). 24 successful women were interviewed and the recordings were uploaded to the project's youtube channel. A Good practice guide with a written description of the interviews, some pictures and additional information is also available in the different project languages on the BTC website. Multiplier events in Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Greece and Iceland engaged 267 participants through workshops, while the training activity in Karditsa trained 12 staff members in a 'train-the-trainers' program. This practical testing provided insights into applying collaborative and team-building activities in workplace settings. These results align with the 2022 KA220-VET priorities, fostering women's workplace inclusion, career growth, and societal contributions.