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Gender issues for apprenticeships

31 Mar 2008

Gender issues for apprenticeships More women than before are taking up apprenticeships, but they are still behind their male counterparts in well-paid sectors such as construction, it has emerged.

In a survey from the TUC, it was revealed that there was a fairly even proportion of men and women in apprenticeships in 2006-07, providing good news for students who are looking for apprenticeships before going into graduate jobs.

Frances O'Grady, TUC deputy general secretary, says: "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 well-paid male occupations like engineering."

Only 1.3 per cent of female apprentices went into the construction industry and only 2.5 per cent went into engineering.

Ms O'Grady added hat low pay in apprenticeships happens "much along gender lines" and women receive on average "26 per cent less pay than men".

She concluded that action needed to be taken on this issue in order to tackle the divide "once and for all".

Professions with the highest number of female apprentices were childcare with 91.1 per cent being female and hairdressing where the figure was 91.7 per cent.

The TUC has over 66 affiliated unions which represent over seven million working people in the UK.

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