Young women apprentices are not getting a fair deal, an MP has claimed.
Labour MP Paul Sherriff, whose Dewsbury constituency includes Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton, has backed calls for apprenticeships to work better for young women.
Ms Sherriff has signed an Early Day Motion tabled by Jess Philips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, following a report published by the charity Young Women’s Trust to coincide with National Apprenticeships Week last month.
The report, Making Apprenticeships Work Better for Young Women, claimed female apprentices are missing out at every stage of apprenticeships and will continue to do so unless urgent action is taken by employers and Government.
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Although more women are entering into apprenticeships than men, the report found women were more likely to achieve poorer outcomes than their male peers.
The report also found that young women apprentices receive less pay than men – £4.82 an hour compared to £5.85 for men, making women on average £2,000 worse off a year. Young women apprentices report receiving less training than men – 23% of women received no training compared to 12% of men.
Some 65% of young women apprentices are concentrated in just five sectors, whereas the same percentage of young men apprentices work in double the number of sectors, giving male apprentices greater career options. Some 16% of women apprentices aid they were out of work following their apprenticeship, compared to just 6% of men.
Ms Sherriff said; “Young women apprentices receive less pay, less training and fewer job opportunities compared to their male peers. The Government need to take action, including ensuring that flexible and part-time apprenticeships are available and that high quality careers advice is offered to young women. Young women deserve fair opportunities to access the best possible long term prospects.”
The report also found that young women were “woefully” under-represented in male-dominated sectors, which tend to be better paid and have better career prospects such as engineering, construction and plumbing.
Young Women’s Trust, which supports and represents young women struggling to live on low or no pay, warned that unless th gender imbalance was addressed, the UK may be unable to meet the demand for skilled workers in sectors including engineering, where there is a serious shortage.
The report makes a number of recommendations to employers and the Government to improve apprenticeships for young women, such as ensuring greater availability of flexible and part-time apprenticeships and increased pay and financial support such as equal childcare provision and the introduction of a single National Minimum Wage.
