Sex inequality still strong

(31/03/08) Female apprentices are still being left far behind their male counterparts, reveals new research from the TUC.

It shows that while more apprenticeships have opened up for young women in the past five years, they are limited to low-paid, traditionally female occupations like childcare and hairdressing, and are unable to break into better paid male occupations like engineering.

In 2006/07, the worst industry culprits were construction with only 1.3 per cent women apprentices, vehicle maintenance (1.4 per cent female apprentices) and engineering (2.5 per cent).

During the same period, 97.1 per cent of apprentices in childcare were female and 91.7 per cent of hairdressing apprentices were women. These are the two lowest paying sectors.

The gender divide has previously been identified by both the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Women and Work Commission, but this new TUC report shows that there has been virtually no change since 2002/03. In engineering the situation has actually worsened.

UNISON is backing a six-point plan to tackle the growing inequality, which includes a call to urgently raise the minimum apprentice wage to £110 a week.

The issue was up for discussion at annual conference of the TUC young members’ forum, held in Manchester over the weekend.

UNISON’s young members were there taking forward the union’s agenda on the minimum wage and other key issues, such as housing and tackling climate change.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Making unions relevant to young working people is vital for the future of the trade union movement.

“As the union which fought hardest for the introduction of the minimum wage, we want to make sure our young people enjoy protection too. We believe that there should be no exclusions from entitlement to the national minimum wage, which should also cover apprentices.”

Download the TUC report in full:

Still more (better paid) jobs for the boys [PDF]

Bookmark, print, post, feed or send to a friend:

Print version

RSS feeds