Women, Work and Training

Author(s): Roisin Thanki, Teresa Rees, Philip Heaton and Deloitte Touche
Commissioned by: Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland
Document Type: Report
Year: 1998
Publisher: Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland
Place of Publication: Belfast
ISBN: 0 906646 76 6
Subject Area(s): Employment, Gender
Client Group(s): Women

Abbreviations: EOC - Equal Opportunities Commission, NVQ - National Vocational Qualification, QCA - Quality and Curriculum Authority

Background to the Research

  • The EOC was concerned that a range of structural and attitudinal factors have produced significant differences between women's and men's positions in employment, especially in relation to skills development. The main aims of this research were therefore to (1) identify the extent and availability of gendered data from employers in both the private and public sectors and (2) establish the extent and nature of any problems facing women in access to employer provided training and education.

Research Approach

  • A case study approach combined with employee surveys in each of the case study companies was undertaken Companies for inclusion in the study were selected randomly according to shier size and sector,with the first ten in each sector and size band being approached to take part as a case study company. Twenty four companies across Northern Ireland and across three size bands and eight sectors were signed up to participate.
  • In addition to agreeing to act as a case study, which involved in-depth interviews, those taking part were also asked to agree to being involved in distributing and returning the employee survey. Interview protocols and a questionnaire survey were then drawn up. Semi-structured interviews with the Human Resources and/or Training Manager, and if possible another relevant staff member such as a training or monitoring officer were planned.

Main Findings

  • While almost all case study companies claim to be equal opportunities employers, few employ positive action programmes, use accreditation for prior learning, use training in recruitment of staff or facilitate training though provision of childcare.
  • In training provision, some companies did not note use of times and locations suitable for part-time workers (who are predominantly women). On the whole however, gender was not recognised as an issue for employers in relation to training and development of employees. This lack of interest was reflected in the paucity of gender disaggregated data made available for the research.
  • Half the case study companies tend not to use training needs appraisals or formal training needs assessment for the majority of their employees. Where it is used, it tends to be the preserve of non-operative managers, and evidence suggests that these employees are mostly male. This means that women's training needs are not being identified and met and that female employees' skills are not being developed to their potential. It also suggests that women do not have access to the training they need to progress to higher level jobs and salaries.
  • The study also found that most training is job-related, except at manager level where some developmental elements are more likely to be included. This further compounds women's lack of opportunity to pursue training and development.
  • Case study employers demonstrate little commitment to the Government's promotion of vocational training for the workforce. Only one case study company is accredited to Investors in People, which is about investing in human resources through training and development. Where vocational qualifications have been pursued, it has been in the public sector and in the traditionally male dominated engineering sector. It has also been in larger companies, but women tend to be concentrated in smaller companies.
  • Currently, gender disaggregated statistics in relations to provision and quality of training is poor but this is being addressed by the QCA, which is now responsible for monitoring NVQ awards.
  • The Opportunity 2000 campaign is aimed at seeking changed in the culture of organisational life so that women can reach their full economic potential. The campaign reports considerable success, yet the few case study companies who are members of Opportunity 2000 appear not to have achieved the pattern of success achieved elsewhere. Doing so would considerably improve opportunity of access to training for women.
  • Case study companies identified difficulties of access to training and development for part-time staff and shift workers in particular. Although part-time workers are not present in significant numbers in the case studies, throughout the workforce they tend to be predominantly female. So long as part-time workers (women in particular) have limited access to training, they have poorer promotion prospects (and lower pay than men).
  • The majority of case study companies recognise that employees have little responsibility for their own training and development. In many cases it would seem that employees have been reluctant to take such responsibility. This is seen by companies to be reflected in employees' reluctance to request training. Case study companies also emphasised that all employees' have an equal opportunity to request training.
  • The employee survey, while statistically limited, does suggest that men are more likely than women to have their requests for training approved. This might suggest that gender role stereotyping is being reinforced with employers being more prepared to invest in men's human capital than women's.
  • Case study companies do provide examples of having training records but these are not always maintained, monitored, reviewed and evaluated. Hence, while structures are in place, the use of these structures and the quality of the information retained by some employers in relation to training is sometimes questionable. Failure to address adequately all elements of training records makes it very difficult for employers to review equality of opportunity and access to training and hence to ensure that all employees reach their full potential.
  • The study's findings suggest that labour market segregation persists in Northern Ireland and that gender socialisation still impacts strongly on training culture. Many companies still lack a coherent training strategy. The lack of formal training needs analysis for non-management employees perpetuates the situation in which womens' training needs are inadequately identified and met.
 

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