Recent studies on the distribution of men and women across different levels of vocational education and training (VET) in Spain reveal a high degree of gender segregation. These studies conclude that: (1) the training offer is predominantly male oriented; (2) women are mainly enrolled in a few professional branches and are concentrated in fields associated either with the sexual division of labour, particularly care related occupations, or with gender stereotypes such as personal image and fashion; and (3) there is a very limited presence of women in male dominated programmes and of men in female dominated ones (Aguado et al., 2020; Moreno Márquez, 2021; Quintana Murci et al., 2021; Salvà Mut et al., 2018).

Although gender segregation exists at all educational levels, it is more pronounced in VET due to its close connection with vocational identity and labour market outcomes (Imdorf et al., 2015; Niemeyer & Colley, 2015). Gender influence is stronger when pathways are differentiated at an early age. Adolescence is a period in which transgressing gender roles is difficult, as adaptation to peer expectations is prioritised (Birr, 2014). In Spain, these decisions are made at ages fourteen and fifteen in basic VET and at age sixteen when choosing between upper secondary education and intermediate VET.

According to Imdorf et al. (2015), this situation has a triple impact on women’s personal, educational, and labour trajectories. First, women’s underrepresentation in certain training options restricts their freedom of choice. Second, male dominated professional families offer better employment prospects, which channels women towards more precarious working conditions and reinforces occupational segregation. Finally, strong gender segregation in VET questions its integrative function, since it ultimately directs many young women towards more precarious professional activities.

At the same time, VET is a stage in which education in values, especially gender equality, remains limited, contributing to the reproduction of gender structures (Lahelma et al., 2014; Moreno Márquez, 2021; Mosteiro & Porto, 2017). Research has highlighted the role of VET organisation in transmitting gender stereotypes through curricular content and teaching practices. Although stereotypes originate in earlier educational stages, VET may reinforce them by preparing young women for the sexual division of labour (Heineger & Imdorf, 2018; Imdorf et al., 2015; Lamamra, 2017; Reisel et al., 2019). Lamamra et al. (2014) argue that VET institutions reproduce labour market inequalities, becoming spaces of gendered professional socialisation.

Studies analysing VET curricula indicate that gender perspectives are absent, superficial, or differentiated depending on whether the programme is male or female dominated (Lamamra, 2017; Simonsson, 2022). Ledman et al. (2018) show that male dominated programmes include knowledge linked to recognised disciplines, whereas female dominated programmes incorporate such content to a lesser extent and often exclude areas such as entrepreneurship or creativity. This imbalance reinforces gender inequality in employment.

Finally, teaching practices play a crucial role in shaping students’ choices and in perpetuating gender stereotypes. Although teachers increasingly express a commitment to gender equality, this discourse does not always translate into practice resulting in unequal treatment of students (Lahelma et al., 2014; Lamamra, 2017; Moreno Márquez, 2021; Reisel et al., 2019; Simonsson, 2022). Finally, research by Aguado et al. (2020) shows that teachers often justify segregation by referring to student preferences, obscuring its structural nature and limiting comprehensive coeducational strategies, thereby contributing to the persistence of gender inequalities.

This paper presents an overview of the results obtained from the project Gender Segregation and Coeducation in Vocational Education and Training: Proposals for Intervention from a Collaborative and Holistic Approach (09-1-ID24), funded by the Ministry of Equality of the Government of Spain. The project aims to analyse the causes and manifestations of gender segregation in VET and to design coeducational intervention proposals that promote academic and career guidance free from gender stereotypes. The study adopts a qualitative and collaborative research design structured into three interrelated phases. Phases 1 and 2 are based on desk research and focus on the development of a theoretical framework on gender segregation in VET, the analysis of statistics on student enrolment in Spanish VET system from a gender perspective, and on the identification and analysis of national and international good practices aimed at reducing segregation and promoting coeducational principles. These phases provide the analytical and contextual foundation for the empirical work. The core empirical component of the study is Phase 3, which follows a participatory and collaborative methodology based on online discussion groups and co-creative workshops designed to generate concrete intervention proposals. A purposive sampling strategy is employed, involving 32 participants distributed across four discussion groups: primary and secondary teachers, VET teachers, educational guidance professionals, and labour market agents from organisations such as chambers of commerce, trade unions, and business associations. These discussion groups constitute the main empirical focus of the paper, which specifically analyses the results obtained through their implementation. The groups were conducted online between December 2025 and January 2026 and functioned as spaces for critical dialogue and collective reflection on vocational guidance, training provision, and gender stereotypes shaping educational and career choices. The discussion groups were guided by a semi-structured protocol aimed at exploring the factors influencing VET gendered educational choices and identifying coeducational intervention strategies. Professionals were invited to reflect on the social, educational, institutional, and cultural factors shaping students’ decisions, to share examples of good practices, and to propose actions considered most effective in reducing gender segregation. Student groups focused on educational pathways, perceived barriers to entering feminised or masculinised programmes, and the role of gender norms and social expectations. Both professionals and students were encouraged to identify priority coeducational actions to promote greater gender equality. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed through systematic coding and thematic analysis.

Although the analysis of the discussion groups is still ongoing, the preliminary results point to several relevant trends that are consistent with existing research on gender segregation in VET. Initial findings suggest that gender segregation is perceived by participants as a multifaceted and structural phenomenon, shaped by the interaction of educational pathways, vocational guidance practices, institutional cultures, and labour market dynamics. Across all discussion groups, participants highlight the persistence of gender stereotypes influencing students’ educational and career choices from early educational stages. Preliminary evidence also indicates that vocational guidance plays a critical role in either reproducing or challenging gender segregation. Participants identify limitations in current guidance practices, including a lack of time, insufficient training in gender perspectives, and the persistence of deficit-based or preference-based explanations that obscure the structural nature of segregation. In addition, early results point to the relevance of organisational and curricular factors within VET institutions, such as the gendered organisation of training provision, the symbolic value assigned to different professional families, and the absence or superficial treatment of gender perspectives in curricula. There is evidence of differential treatment by teachers and students towards women in male-dominated professions, ranging from the assignment of different tasks to situations of severe discrimination. Participants emphasise the need for interventions that go beyond isolated actions and address these structural dimensions through institutional commitment, teacher training, and collaboration with labour market actors. Overall, the expected outcomes of this study include the identification of key barriers and enabling factors for the implementation of coeducational practices in VET, as well as the co-construction of a set of concrete, context-sensitive intervention proposals. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based tools aimed at reducing gender segregation and promoting more equitable educational and career pathways within VET systems.

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