This is the question that has begun to circulate in my brain as I try to organise renovations so that we can move into the first home we have purchased. (It’s not a “new house”. It’s our “first house”.) We don’t want much – a ramp, new bathroom and move the toilet.
However, whenever I make phone calls it’s always men who answer the phone and, despite priding themselves on their decision-making prowess, the men taking my phone calls would never start a nuclear war – or any kind of war, for that matter, because they would never make the “decision” to ‘push the button’.
(Here’s where I need a slight disclaimer. We have found a builder who has been good and has given sound advice about rotting walls; using slopes to save distance for the ramp; and saving money on council planning. But then I work with his wife – so there could be a reason for this cooperative behaviour.)
As a person who believes in “evidence-based-practice” I looked at the evidence. It’s damning. Women are not taking trade apprenticeship places. This graph from Women in Australia 2004 (Australian Government: 2004) shows the career directions of young women when they leave school, and it’s blatantly obvious that the ‘Built environment’ and ‘Engineering/processing’ are NOT the chosen careers of young women.
Link to graph
http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/43c8d20bz1c51e995/1f62/__sr_/d2c9scd.jpg?phgNPEGB_VdWjxjm
Graph 6.1 Discipline Group, Female Vocational Education and Training Students, 2001*
* Study or training related to a person's career or occupation, or undertaken to improve job or career. Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research 2002, unpublished data, Annual Apprentice and Trainee Statistics 2002, Adelaide.
The same chapter goes on to show the gender of apprentices between the ages of 15 and 19. Again the great disparity between males and females is obvious.
Link to graph http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/43c8d20bz1c51e995/1f62/__sr_/e2f5scd.jpg?phgNPEGBJjhUvQZp
Graph 6.2 Apprentice and Trainee Training Rates* by Sex and Age 15-19 (at 31 December), 1996 to 2002
*Derived from NCVER Apprentice and Trainee statistics and ABS labour force data (December 2002). Training rates are calculated on the basis of employed persons. Source: NCVER, Annual Apprentice and Trainee statistics 2002, unpublished data.
(Yes, despite the deceptively similar colouring, the bottom line represents the dismally low numbers of women in apprenticeships or trades.)
Another study, this time by the New South Wales Premier’s Department’s Office for Women found that
In the Higher Education sector (which provides degree and graduate courses), 56.6% of students in Australia were women. In 2006, 57.1% of Bachelor’s Degree students were women, and 51% of Postgraduate Degree students were women11. At the lower postgraduate levels, 64% of all persons enrolled in a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate were women, and 51% enrolled in Masters and higher degrees were women.
In 2006, amongst those studying for a qualification in the Higher Education sector in Australia, women made up the majority of students in courses related to Society and Culture (69% of enrolments), Health (72%) and Management and Commerce (55%). Men made up the majority of students studying Engineering and related technologies (90.2% of enrolments in this field) and architecture and building (82.3% enrolments).
The same study also found that
Trade Apprenticeships continue to show an under representation of women. In NSW in 2006, there were 6,576 women in-training as a trade apprentice, comprising only 13.5% of this group.
(NSW Premier’s Department: 2007)
These figures demonstrate that trades are still dominated by men.
It was when I was looking for a tiler that I became acutely aware of the dearth of common sense and decision-making ability. As a thinking person, I KNOW that you need to order the tiles a month in advance to allow for availability. So I wanted a tiler to go and measure the space and tell me how many tiles to order.
I didn’t want the tiler to choose the tiles – just measure the space.
This is what happened
Tiler no 1:
He answered the mobile with a kind of mumbled grunt and (because the conversation was so bland, useless and uncommunicative) I’ll supplement that parody of it that I e-mailed to my partner
….."well I really need to know what the job requires before I can quote. call me in a month. no, no call me in a week. when is the builder starting? yeah, yeah call me when the builder starts so I can go around and have a look. {I like to do 'blokey' stuff and cos I'm simple and can't use a calculator I can't work out a quote 'til I sniff the corners and lick the floorboards or, at least, drag me knuckles around a bit, scratch me balls and grunt whilst leaning on the wall and vaguely touching my penis.} yeah, call me then and I can start about a week from then"……
It was a great relief when a tiler just happened to put his card in our letter box and…he could speak in sentences and even offered to come around and talk about the job. He also offered to go to the house and do a measure and quote.
When we finally do settle the purchase and get the keys to the house, it will be this tiler that I’ll be calling.
This is to say nothing of looking for the fact that I still need to find someone to move the toilet or build a base for the bed. But for that, I do have ‘contacts’ and I’m using them.
All of these interactions highlighted the fact that women are not entering these trades. (Or if they do, they are treated as something of a ‘sceptical’ and featured in News Articles like this on Sarah who went “From soprano to apprentice carpenter at new trade institute” (http://www.skillstech.tafe.qld.gov.au/about_us/media_2006.html#1 Accessed: 2 April 2007).
I could only wish for some clear thinking, organised women to be available as trades people. Maybe sometime in the future…………..
References:
Australian Government, Department of Family and Community Services, Office for Women. 2004. Women in Australia (http://www.ofw.facs.gov.au/publications/wia/chapter6.html Accessed: 2 April 2007)
New South Wales, Premier’s Department, Office for Women. 2007. “Women, Education and Training – New South Wales” (http://www.women.nsw.gov.au/PDF/FS2007/Women,%20Education%20and%20Training_OFW%202007.pdf Accessed: 2 April 2007)
Queensland Government SkillsTech. 2006. Media Releases (TAFE) SkillsTech Australia “From soprano to apprentice carpenter at new trade institute” (http://www.skillstech.tafe.qld.gov.au/about_us/media_2006.html#1 Access: 2 April 2007)
Another study, this time by the New South Wales Premier’s Department’s Office for Women found that
In the Higher Education sector (which provides degree and graduate courses), 56.6% of students in Australia were women. In 2006, 57.1% of Bachelor’s Degree students were women, and 51% of Postgraduate Degree students were women11. At the lower postgraduate levels, 64% of all persons enrolled in a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate were women, and 51% enrolled in Masters and higher degrees were women.
In 2006, amongst those studying for a qualification in the Higher Education sector in Australia, women made up the majority of students in courses related to Society and Culture (69% of enrolments), Health (72%) and Management and Commerce (55%). Men made up the majority of students studying Engineering and related technologies (90.2% of enrolments in this field) and architecture and building (82.3% enrolments).
The same study also found that
Trade Apprenticeships continue to show an under representation of women. In NSW in 2006, there were 6,576 women in-training as a trade apprentice, comprising only 13.5% of this group.
(NSW Premier’s Department: 2007)
These figures demonstrate that trades are still dominated by men.
It was when I was looking for a tiler that I became acutely aware of the dearth of common sense and decision-making ability. As a thinking person, I KNOW that you need to order the tiles a month in advance to allow for availability. So I wanted a tiler to go and measure the space and tell me how many tiles to order.
I didn’t want the tiler to choose the tiles – just measure the space.
This is what happened
Tiler no 1:
He answered the mobile with a kind of mumbled grunt and (because the conversation was so bland, useless and uncommunicative) I’ll supplement that parody of it that I e-mailed to my partner
….."well I really need to know what the job requires before I can quote. call me in a month. no, no call me in a week. when is the builder starting? yeah, yeah call me when the builder starts so I can go around and have a look. {I like to do 'blokey' stuff and cos I'm simple and can't use a calculator I can't work out a quote 'til I sniff the corners and lick the floorboards or, at least, drag me knuckles around a bit, scratch me balls and grunt whilst leaning on the wall and vaguely touching my penis.} yeah, call me then and I can start about a week from then"……
It was a great relief when a tiler just happened to put his card in our letter box and…he could speak in sentences and even offered to come around and talk about the job. He also offered to go to the house and do a measure and quote.
When we finally do settle the purchase and get the keys to the house, it will be this tiler that I’ll be calling.
This is to say nothing of looking for the fact that I still need to find someone to move the toilet or build a base for the bed. But for that, I do have ‘contacts’ and I’m using them.
All of these interactions highlighted the fact that women are not entering these trades. (Or if they do, they are treated as something of a ‘sceptical’ and featured in News Articles like this on Sarah who went “From soprano to apprentice carpenter at new trade institute” (http://www.skillstech.tafe.qld.gov.au/about_us/media_2006.html#1 Accessed: 2 April 2007).
I could only wish for some clear thinking, organised women to be available as trades people. Maybe sometime in the future…………..
References:
Australian Government, Department of Family and Community Services, Office for Women. 2004. Women in Australia (http://www.ofw.facs.gov.au/publications/wia/chapter6.html Accessed: 2 April 2007)
New South Wales, Premier’s Department, Office for Women. 2007. “Women, Education and Training – New South Wales” (http://www.women.nsw.gov.au/PDF/FS2007/Women,%20Education%20and%20Training_OFW%202007.pdf Accessed: 2 April 2007)
Queensland Government SkillsTech. 2006. Media Releases (TAFE) SkillsTech Australia “From soprano to apprentice carpenter at new trade institute” (http://www.skillstech.tafe.qld.gov.au/about_us/media_2006.html#1 Access: 2 April 2007)
