Are you using positive action to address gender segregated apprenticeships?

Did you know that positive action is chronically under-utilised, which in turn is acting as a barrier to addressing the under-representation of women within certain apprenticeships such as engineering and construction? Did you know that part of the reason for this is confusion on between positive action and positive discrimination? Would new guidance help?

This is according to a June 2018 report from the Young Women’s Trust on the attitudes towards, and the use of positive action in relation to construction, engineering and ICT apprenticeships.

The research, carried out by the University of Chester, found:

• Almost all participating appeared to have an awareness of the term ‘positive action’ but many reported a lack of clarity and a confusion around the detail of the definition
• Few could comfortably describe the distinction between ‘positive action’ and ‘positive discrimination’ and this acted as a barrier to using positive action

The report makes a number of recommendations including:

• Supporting employers to use positive action measures, such as:
  • Targeting where and how jobs are advertised
  • Outreach work experience placements
  • Taster events
  • Pre-application support
  • Coaching and mentoring schemes for potential and current female apprentices
• Public sector bodies including colleges and workplace learning providers should promote the use of the ‘tiebreak’ under section 159 of the Equality Act 2010

You can download the full report here

You can read the summary here