A report from the Women and Work Commission challenges the Department for Children, Schools and Families to do more to broaden the horizons of young people when it comes to choosing careers, particularly girls. They say 'Occupational segregation starts at an early age. Often without thinking about it, young girls are choosing to role play at being 'teachers', for example, while boys might choose 'builders'. This segregation is ingrained in our culture and has significant implications for the career choices that young men and women make and, in the longer term, for their future earnings. Challenging these outdated ideas about 'jobs for the girls' is key to breaking down gender segregation in the workplace and changing our culture for future generations.' Girls tend to end up in one of the 5 C's: caring, catering, cashiering, cleaning and clerical where pay is low although part-time work is easier to come by. Just 6% of engineering apprenticeships and 1% of construction apprenticeships go to girls. So while boys may follow in Bob's footsteps, girls aren't doing a Dora.
As well as better careers advice, the commission is suggesting that all young people should do two-weeks' work experience in a non-traditional role, effectively expanding the horizons of both girls and boys to see new possibilities for their futures - so that both Bob and Dora can imagine what it would be like to be an explorer! Knowing how difficult it can be to set up work experience and how key parental contacts are, I wonder how realistic this is, but it seems like a good proposal. Of course young people should be free to choose where they want to work, but if you are only shown limited options, then you hardly have a free choice. We also need to recognise that class is a defining factor in future job prospects so working-class girls get the least choice of all. Surely there's a role here for youth workers, to expand the imagination of young people and to help them discern where God might be calling them.