Following the ongoing gender pay scandal , a major new report shows that young women are still not pursuing certain careers usually associated with men .

The report ‘ Closing the Gender Gap ’ by WorldSkills UK and the Careers & Enterprise Company , which surveyed 2,000 young people and 2,000 parents , makes sober reading for anyone believing that true gender equality exists .

No less than 56 % of young women ( aged 17 – 19 ) believed that their gender limits their career options .

In contrast – only 37 % of young men felt gender limited their options – and

Dr Neil Bentley Chief Executive WorldSkills UK

were more confident about their career prospects ( 77 % men – 70 % women ).

It finds that our young people have more – not less – gender-conservative views

of the world than their parents . This is measured in the types of industries and the levels of pay that young people associate with men and women – exactly the

drivers of our pay gap today . The research found not only that young women aspire to lower salaries than men – by - around £ 1,000 – but also that they aspire to considerably lower salaries than their parents believe they are aspiring to .

Dr . Neil Bentley , Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK said : “ These findings are particularly shocking to me . The report is a wake-up call for all , especially when you consider that the young people interviewed were born at the turn of the 21st century . Showing that progress on gender equality is not inevitable , the findings require us to think more deeply about the influences

on young people . We want all young women to have an open mind about their career choices and make the most of the opportunities available . That ’ s why we are encouraging all young people , their teachers and parents to speak with more employers , for example at the Skills Show , and understand that career choices currently should be about chasing your dreams , not following traditional paths .”

The research goes onto confirm that career aspirations showed gender disparity with 18 % more young men than women wanting to be Engineers and IT Professionals . The research also showed that these biases are

also projected onto others , with young people more likely to direct their peers into careers based on their gender , rather than their abilities and interests .

More positively , the research finds that engagement with role models from the world of work can significantly increase salary aspirations of young women .

The full report can be viewed here : https :// www . worldskillsuk . org / accelerate / our-research / current-research

worldskills . uk . org

careersandenterprise . co . uk