6 | GENDER PAY GAP 2020
In this section we set out the factors which contribute to the pay gap .
Rather than contracting out services , we directly employ staff in roles that maintain our large and welcoming campus and provide services to support staff , students , visitors and members of the community . As a large employer in the area , we offer enhanced conditions and benefits , in comparison to some organisations who provide these services . Our operational roles include ; cleaning , catering , nursery nurses , grounds maintenance and trades staff e . g . electricians , plumbers etc . 59 % of this occupational group are female , and they largely occupy roles in cleaning services , catering and the nursery .
Our administrative staff make up 16.6 % of our workforce and 85 % of this group are female . Administrative roles have traditionally been an established career choice for women , and we recognise that a historical gender bias exists and still impacts on recruitment today as we continue to receive significantly more applications for administrative posts from female candidates .
The University has had a Student Ambassador scheme in operation for a number of years . Students can apply to be part of the scheme and following training may be offered casual work across the University for events such as open days . We are committed to providing our students with paid work experience , and feel strongly that students should be properly remunerated for such work . However , we do see more female students applying to be part of the scheme ; 79 % of the group are female .
Taking these three groups into account , the large numbers of women in the lower paid administrative , operational and casual roles contribute to a lower average hourly rate for women .
For academic staff , the mean gender pay gap for substantive staff across all levels is 12.5 % ( down from 13.9 % in 2019 ) in favour of men . The chief reason for the gap is the lack of female representation at higher academic grades and high female recruitment to lower academic grades . This is a sector issue , and while Keele ’ s female professorial representation of 33 % is higher than sector average of 27 % ( 2018 / 19 HESA Data ), we strive for more even representation . In November 2017 , we set ourselves a target of achieving 35 % female professors by 2021 and have agreed a number of initiatives and actions to support this ambition which are detailed later in this report .
A second factor contributing to the academic pay gap is that we directly employ clinical academics who are paid according to NHS Pay scales . Our Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is one of the leading centres of applied research in primary care and is a national centre for studying musculoskeletal disorders . We offer a full range of clinical undergraduate , postgraduate and CPD courses . Our students benefit from our partnerships with NHS organisations across Staffordshire and Shropshire and these partnerships enable Senior Consultants to contribute to research and teaching across the Faculty . Such staff are paid through Keele ’ s payroll at a rate equivalent to their senior NHS pay , and are included in our Gender Pay Gap reporting . 62 % of the clinical academics we pay are male .
The cumulative effect of our workforce profile ; 63 % female workforce , with large numbers concentrated in lower paid casual , operational and administrative roles , and more men concentrated in higher paid academic ( professorial and clinical ) roles results in a higher median pay gap when compared to the mean .