With the gender pay gap being a highly contested topic of discussion, there have been calls for employers to recognise the potential significance of bringing more women into what are perhaps traditionally seen as male-orientated apprentice roles.
Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for young people to learn new skills with the promise of a paid job upon completion of the apprenticeship. In the 2013/14 academic year, 440,000 people started apprenticeships in England. Of these apprenticeships, 233,000 were started by women and the remaining 207,000 by men, with three quarters of the courses covering the following sectors: business, administration and law; health, public services and care; and retail and commercial enterprise.
By the end of January 2015, there had been 248,700 apprenticeships started in the 2014/15 academic year.
Traditional Lack of Diversity
Statistics last year showed that 83% of apprentices in health and social care are female, and the hairdressing and childcare apprenticeships contain 91% and 93% female apprentices respectively. If you compare these percentages with the percentages of male apprentices in construction and vehicle repair, for example, (98%) then the lack of diversity in these industries is stark.
When the full-time pay of people in these industries is compared to that of industries with a high male contingent, such as engineering and building, there is a pay gap of around £8,400, which furthers the importance of diversity in these industries.
New Apprenticeships & Beyond
The expansion of Higher Apprenticeships means that there are also apprenticeships for skilled individuals who want to focus on a more specialised area, meaning that even after the initial apprenticeship is completed, skills can be developed further. These apprenticeships are equivalent to degree-level qualifications, with level 6 equalling a BA/BSc, and level 7 being the equivalent of a Master’s degree.
Supporters of Equal Opportunities
The importance of having a diverse workplace cannot be understated, as it opens up your workplace as a place of opportunity for all kinds of people. At VHL, we are huge supporters of equal opportunities for men and women, which is why we are immensely proud of our diverse workforce.
Here at VHL, we are proud to offer equal opportunities for everybody. If you would like to work for a diverse, progressive company then look no further than us. We specialise in supplying, installing, maintaining and repairing boilers from the world’s leading manufacturers, so get in touch with us today to find out more – whether you’d like to work for us or use our services.