The challenges facing young women in apprenticeships
In: In: Schoon, I and Eccles, J, (eds.) Gender Differences in Aspirations and Attainment: A Life Course Perspective. (pp. 182-200). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. (2014)
Participation in government-supported apprenticeship programs in the UK is characterized by stereotypical gender imbalances . This chapter draws on secondary data analysis of official statistics on young people?s participation in vocational education and training (VET) and apprenticeship, and evidence from a study of the attitudes of 14- and 15-year-olds in England and Wales to the labor market . The discussion reveals the deep-rooted nature and continuing influence of gendered stereotypes in relation to what men and women can and cannot do in the world of work. This chapter argues that while patterns of take-up in apprenticeship mirror unequal conditions in the labor market and society more widely, initiatives in some European countries indicate that there are steps that can be taken to help young women gain access to occupations that provide better prospects in terms of pay and career progression.
