Time for a change?

Although women represent at least 50% of the UK workforce, they are severely under-represented in most trade professions – many of which are facing huge skills gap shortages.

D A Woolgar are trying to buck this trend and this years apprentices are both girls

In 2007/2008 women made up just one per cent of Electrotechnical apprentice starts while recent figures indicate that less than one in every thousand electrical contractors is female.

NICEIC and its campaign partners aim to highlight the exciting opportunities available to females within the electrical industry and dispel the myth that trade professions are a viable career path for men only. NICEIC wants an industry built on skills and qualifications while ensuring there is a level playing field for all who wish to operate within it.

As part of its campaign, NICEIC and apprentice provider JTL produced a practical guide to help understand equality issues and give guidance to employers. It is also hoping to recruit more young females to its recently launched Apprentice Academy.