Keeping It Equal for National Careers Week
Finding the right career path can be tough. There are so many options available and often we face conflicting advice from friends, family and teachers about whether to stay in school, get a job, try an apprenticeship or go to university.
National Careers Week is an annual awareness-raising week held across the UK to help young people find the right path for them. Full Circle Education Solutions, a South Wales-based social enterprise, will be celebrating this special week by encouraging young women aged 11-25 to ‘Keep It Equal’ at an event to promote non-stereotypical careers and industries to girls.
Statistically girls perform better at school than boys, and women are more likely to go to university than men. However, men are more likely to gain employment after they graduate and sadly women will earn on average 14.9% less than men.
Girls and boys should have equal access to the same jobs, courses and degrees, but for many young women their gender is perceived as a barrier to success in profitable industries such as IT, business and engineering. Gender stereotypes about what is a ‘man’s job’ and a ‘women’s job’ still persist, resulting in women failing to enter many professions. Girls are far more likely to be encouraged into vocational training in hairdressing and beauty, than a course in plumbing, construction or web coding, for example.
For many girls a career in science or as a fire fighter is an unlikely option because of their lack of knowledge and experience of the industry. It is likely that many girls will have never met a female fire fighter, or had a hands-on experience of the different careers in science. Removing some of the ingrained messages and stereotypes about what boys and girls can and cannot do must start at a young age.
Full Circle’s ‘Keeping It Equal’ event aims to challenge girls to step out of their comfort zone and to try something new. The event is being held in partnership with the British Army, and will provide a hands-on opportunity for young women to try careers and interests as diverse as DJing, engineering, construction, football, the Armed Forces and emergency services.
Girls will have the opportunity to hear a range of presentations from inspiring women, try their hands at non-stereotypical activities, receive information about careers and issues affecting them, and take part in a role model “speed-dating” style session with adult women role models. Over three hundred young women from across South Wales will attend ‘Keeping It Equal’ in Cardiff on Friday March 7th, in celebration of both National Careers Week and International Women’s Day.
With women accounting for 64% of the lowest paid workers in the UK it is crucial we begin to break down gender stereotypes and encourage girls to shed the idea of ‘feminine’ and ‘unfeminine’ roles, to not only help young people today, but future generations of girls.
