Apprenticeships continue to be the preserve of the boys with women being left behind in the opportunity stakes.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) report, Still More (Better Paid) Jobs for the Boys, prepared for the Young Members’ Forum, showed that while the proportion of men and women is fairly evenly split – 54.2% of people starting apprenticeships in 2006/07 were men, and 45.8% were women – gender splits become more obvious between the sectors. In 2006/07, the worst industry culprits were construction with only 1.3% female apprentices, vehicle maintenance (1.4%) and engineering (2.5%).
During the same period, 97.1% of apprentices in childcare were female and 91.7% of hairdressing apprenticeships were women, the two lowest paying sectors. The report shows that there has been virtually no change since 2002/03. In engineering, the situation has actually worsened, with the proportion of women apprentices falling.
Shockingly, the TUC report suggests that big employers are amongst the worst culprits. Of the large employers who contract directly with the Learning and Skills Council’s National Employer Service (NES), women only comprise around one fifth of all apprentices taken on.
Of the ten most popular apprenticeships taken up by NES employers, six had less than 11% female apprentices. Even more strikingly, four of the five most popular apprenticeships taken up via the NES have less than 4% women – construction (1.2%), vehicle maintenance (1.3%), engineering (3.5%) and electro-technical (1.5%).
Responding to the findings, the TUC has suggested a six-point plan to tackle the problems including increasing the £80 minimum pay rate to benefit women and expanding adult apprenticeships to break down occupational segregation.
TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Low pay in apprenticeships happens much along gender lines. Women receive on average 26% 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.”
To view the report in full please visit: www.tuc.org.uk/extras/genderreport.pdf
