Women suffer apprenticeship gender divide
Women are still losing out on apprenticeships in traditionally male sectors, a new report has found. The study, carried out by the TUC, revealed that while there are more apprenticeship places for women in general, females are still significantly under-represented in such sectors as engineering and construction which are usually better paid. Overall, in 2006/07, the proportion of men and women taking up apprenticeships were more or less equal, with 54.2 per cent of the people starting apprenticeships men and 45.8 per cent women. However, the report showed that the vast majority of women entering apprenticeships were doing so in occupations traditionally seen as female and traditionally low paid. Women accounted for 97.1 per cent of apprentices in childcare and 91.7 per cent of apprentices in hairdressing. In construction and engineering, however, the figures for women starting apprenticeships were 1.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively. The TUC said efforts to bridge the apprenticeship gender divide since the last report into the issue, conducted by the Equal Opportunities Commission in 2003, had made little progress. In fact, the situation in engineering had actually worsened, with the proportion of women apprentices falling from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent between 2002/03 and 2006/07. Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s deputy general secretary, said: “Apprenticeships are an excellent route into work and we want to see more and more employers offering high quality places. “But this report shows there is still a huge gender divide in apprenticeships. Too many young women are being limited to apprenticeships in low-paid traditionally female occupations like childcare and hairdressing, and are unable to break into better paid male occupations like engineering. “Low pay in apprenticeships happens much along gender lines. Women receive on average 26 per cent less pay than men so action needs to be taken now to tackle this divide once and for all. Government and, in particular, employers need to take this seriously and make equality a major priority.” Date:31 March 2008
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