Vocational Qualifications Mean 15% Less Pay For Women Than Men
There is an endless battle between the sexes regarding pay. It has been reported by Trade Unions Congress that there is a significant pay gap for employees with vocational qualifications young women are earning 15% less than men with comparable qualifications.
Men aged between 22 and 30 who obtain a vocational qualification above GCSE earn an average of £10 an hour. Meanwhile, women in the same age group with the same qualifications will earn only £8.50.
This 15% pay gap for young women with vocational qualifications is nearly a third higher than for young women with academic qualifications. There is a pay gap of 10.5% between men and women with academic qualifications while the overall pay gap is 8.5%.
It has been suggested that the one of the reasons women earn less than men is because they work mainly in sectors where pay is poorer.
The data from 2015 showed that one in 40 vocational qualifications in construction were awarded to women. Only 10.8% of vocational qualifications in engineering and manufacturing were undertaken by women. Meanwhile the health and care qualifications are dominated by women with a 63.6% qualification rate.
UC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Young women with vocational qualifications experience a huge gender pay gap. Many are still pursuing careers in ‘traditional’ industries that offer lower wages, whereas in better-paid sectors like engineering and construction they remain a rarity. Unless we challenge gender stereotyping and discrimination from the outset, the situation is not going to improve.
“Unions, employers and government must work together to provide better careers advice in schools and to support and improve training opportunities for all young people.”
The TUC has called on schools to challenge traditional gender roles at an early stage and for young people to be made aware of the returns from different qualifications and careers. It also recommended mentoring programmes for women in industries in which they are under-represented.
Source: ri5.co.uk
