News
28 May 2008 YWCA Parliamentary reception
YWCA held a Parliamentary reception on Tuesday 20 May to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the More than one rung campaign. MPs and members of the business community were invited to join in the commemorations with YWCA staff and young women from centres throughout England. Pat McFadden, the Minister of State for the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, explained during his speech that the government had asked the Low Pay Commission to look specifically at apprenticeships and the national minimum wage. He stressed to the young women that: “Nothing is more important than opportunity, and nothing is more important than making sure young people can achieve their potential.” He applauded YWCA for accomplishing “concrete and specific things” and stated that: “Today should be a celebration of what you have achieved. This campaign has really made an impact and been listened to by Ministers. Well done to YWCA and well done to the More than one rung campaign”.
Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, also congratulated YWCA for making an impact with the More than one rung campaign and promised that “Pat McFadden, myself and Harriet Harman will be keeping a close eye on this.”
Anne-Marie Edwards, from YWCA St Helens, and Nikki Ravenscroft, from YWCA Northampton, each gave very well received speeches. Anne-Marie described her experiences of career guidance at school and said: “I would like to see schools offer young women wider choices and a variety of work experience.” Nikki told the audience that she supports the campaign because she believes that “young women need the same opportunities as men do.”
The evening not only highlighted the campaign’s successes, but gave young women a chance to have their voices heard by MPs and members of the House of Lords. The group of young women who attended the event asked the guests to complete questionnaires to help us find out how they can help young women leave the bottom rung behind. Lord Cotter, the Liberal Democrat Shadow spokesperson for Small Businesses & Skills, felt that he could make a difference by promoting the problems to the government. Speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday, he said: “To encourage business and enterprise, businesspeople must be fully engaged. Small businesses in particular need to be involved and helped-including financially-to participate…Parliament was lobbied by YWCA, which helps disadvantaged young women…encouragement is needed for young women... I hope this will be taken on board.”
14 May 2008 Taking our campaign to Downing Street
YWCA's campaign team visited number 10 Downing Street recently to discuss with one of the Prime Minister's top advisors what could be done to help disadvantaged young women get better jobs.
Sally Copley, YWCA's director of policy and Helen Berresford, YWCA's parliamentary officer, spoke with Nick Pearce, who is head of Strategic policy at Number 10, in what was described as an 'extremely constructive' meeting.
YWCA was able to press home the main demands this campaign aimed to help disadvantaged young women get off the bottom rung of the career ladder and out of a lifetime of hardship. The campaign is calling for better careers advice, as well as tailored support to help young women learn more and try out jobs that are not necessarily those traditionally female-dominated like cleaning, catering and caring. These jobs are amongst the lowest paid in the UK today. Yet our research has found that hundreds of thousands of young women are still being channelled into them through poor careers advice and lack of information and support.
After the meeting, Sally Copley said: "The Government is clearly committed to addressing the issue of skills and work for young people. Nick Pearce was receptive to many of our suggestions, and we were extremely pleased to have the opportunity to take our message right to the top."
12 February 2008 Jobs for the Girls
A number of YWCA’s campaign calls were taken up in an influential report looking into the progress of the Women and Work Commission’s recommendations on the gender pay gap. YWCA reported to MPs their fears that girls were being steered, through poor careers advice, into low-paid, traditionally ‘female’ jobs. They pointed out the injustices in the pay differences in apprenticeships, with the lowest paid being in those sectors dominated by women.
The Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee’s report, ‘Jobs for the Girls’ published this week, reflects YWCA’s concerns by calling on the Government to provide more support and funding for careers advice in schools. They called upon the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Low Pay Commission to examine and act upon the gender pay gap among apprentices.
YWCA’s research for its More than one rung campaign revealed that disadvantaged young women are still being channelled into female-dominated jobs with low pay and no prospects. This is despite some admitting that they would have been willing, with support, to try out jobs in male-dominated sectors like plumbing and electrical. The lowest paid apprenticeship YWCA found is hairdressing - more than 90% female; while the highest paid is electro-technical, which pays twice the average and is 100% male-dominated.
Judy Mallaber MP cited this disturbing reality when she highlighted the findings of the report in interviews this week.
Sally Copley, director of policy, research and campaigns says : “We submitted our findings and concerns to MPs and are delighted that they have taken them on board in this report. Clearly, the next step is to accelerate implementing the recommendations so that more young women do not fall through the net and get trapped in a life of poverty.”
28 January 2008 Applause for new apprenticeship strategy
Today, the Government published a new apprenticeship strategy which we applaud. We are happy to report that many of the things we pointed out to the Government (as told to us by girls and women) have been considered. We especially welcome the Government’s recognition of how many young women find themselves in poorly-paid apprenticeships.
We said that there needs to be positive action which specifically encourages young women into non-traditional work to reverse entrenched problems of gender segregation. The Government agrees with us and proposes pilot schemes to tackle this.
In job sectors which have traditionally been dominated by men, we told the Government that female apprentices entering these sectors need very specific support – mentors – to help and encourage them in the ‘man’s world’ they have entered. The Government agrees with us about this, too.
The Government has also said that they think that young people, when they’re still at school, should get information about the different pay rates, working conditions and expectation for different jobs and careers. Once again, this is something we have been calling for. Only when they are armed with this information, can girls make informed choices about what job or career to go into.
We are also happy to see that apprenticeship pay will be looked at in apprenticeship strategy. With many young women still struggling on apprenticeship wages we want to see the level of apprenticeship pay set at the equivalent of the National Minimum Wage.
24 January 2008 Tell Ed Balls!
Following on from what we said earlier this month about Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families wanting to see more girls encouraged into higher-paid careers that are 'traditionally' thought of as men's work, now you can email him and ask him to go even further.
We've made it as simple as we can for you to email him - just click here and follow the instructions.
15 January 2008 Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in support
We were pleased to see that this month Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (pictured left) expressed his wish to see more young people being encouraged into careers traditionally done by the opposite sex. We are very happy that Ministers acknowledged that many women are missing out on higher wages in sectors that have been traditionally male-dominated.
Young women in YWCA centres tell us all the time that poor careers advice and guidance is at the heart of their disadvantage in the labour market. They are still ending up in the lowest paid, traditionally female dominated jobs with little chance of progression.
We welcome proposals featured in the Education and Skills Bill to deliver gender impartial careers education, but we are keen to see this go further. We want to see explicit guidance to challenge gender stereotypes within the Bill. At the same time we know that the real test is making it actually happen. Girls often tell us that it only took one person to inspire them or dishearten them and change the direction of their career.
8 January 2008 Carly on BBC Radio 4
This morning, Carly, a young women from YWCA West Kent, was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
She was taking part in a programme with David Blunkett, the former cabinet minister. He has been looking at ways to prevent growing segregation between rich and poor in this country and how to make it possible for people to work their way up (often called ‘social mobility’).
Blunkett writes in a pamphlet based on interviews with academics and young people: "Entrenched inequality, which sees people living increasingly separate lives according to their wealth, means there is a serious danger of a small but significant underclass developing in Britain."
Carly was also involved in the launch of Blunkett’s pamphlet ‘The inclusive society? Social mobility in 21st Century Britain’.
Carly, who is working her way up to a better life by training to be a mechanic, mentioned she was involved with our More than one rung campaign and talked about the support offered by YWCA. Read more about it here or or use the BBC’s listen again service.
4 December 2007 Girls want careers for Christmas
On Saturday staff and girls from YWCA West Kent had a stall at the Christmas Market in Tonbridge. The girls told shoppers that the best present for them and others like them would be to get off the bottom rung of the career ladder.
The West Kent girls were keen to tell local people about this campaign and wanted people to understand that for some girls life is complicated and difficult and that many are written off before they’ve even begun.
Fiona Palmer, project worker at YWCA Kent said: ”The people we spoke to fell into two categories, those who had experienced disadvantage themselves and those with a social conscience."
Von Dawson, YWCA West Kent project manager said: "It is easy to look at a place like Tonbridge and think that everyone gets support and guidance from their parents, has access to a good education and have the skills and confidence to get a good job. We want to get local people thinking about what it means not to have those advantages and be stuck with no job and few opportunities."
Campaigner Jess said: "I thought it would be interesting to see if the older people really do care about young women. I found the day challenging but enjoyable."
Campaigner Zara says: "I am interested to get a better working place like men. I was so scared and nervous to talk to people at first but now I am good at it. I liked telling them what we learn and what we do at YWCA. I would do it again."
After just a few hours, the staff and girls had persuaded more than 500 people to pledge their suppport to our campaign.
3 December 2007 Beautician turns sparkie
Twenty-year-old Jess, who goes to YWCA Doncaster, featured on a BBC Look North news report on Friday. Jess describes how she started as a beautician, but felt she could get a better paid career as an electrician. See Jess’s report on the BBC website.
28 November 2007 Girls allowed
Friday, 30 November 2007
YWCA Doncaster Women's Centre
21 Cleveland Street, Doncaster
11.00-14.30
On Friday, 30 November at YWCA Doncaster, young women will be talking in front of an audience about why girls should stop being pigeon holed in 'women's work,' and have the opportunity to fill the employment gaps in the town.
The women, alongside local employers and education and career experts from the area, will be debating what will make work work for both young women trapped on the bottom rung of the career ladder and employers who have jobs to fill and can't fill them.
Come along and listen to what others have to say about this important issue.
Only 29% of young women aged 16 to 24 are working full-time in Yorkshire and Humber compared to 40% of young men. There are large gender differences, with 1% of young women working in construction compared to 11% of young men and 8% in manufacturing compared to 18% of young men. The construction, engineering and manufacturing industries remain hampered by the greatest skills shortages, particularly in wood trades, bricklaying and managerial roles.
Jessica Pell-Taylor is 20 and mother to a five-year-old son. Jess attended YWCA Doncaster and knows from personal experience the difference the right encouragement and support makes to a young woman's life. Jess trained to be a beauty therapist but after completing her course she realised that she wanted to have better prospects for her long-term future, so decided to train as an electrician. She is now doing an apprenticeship with Doncaster Metropolitan Council and is enjoying every minute.
Jess, who will be at the event on Friday, said: 'Without YWCA's support and encouragement I could have been trapped on benefits, or in low paid work. I have been really lucky. I had people telling me that even though I didn't do well at school, I could still do something with my life. Without them it could have been so different.'
For further information contact Lin Beekar communications officer YWCA, on 01865 304228/07917 839464, or email lin.beekar@ywca.org.uk
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21 November 2007 Skills summit in Northampton
A YWCA skills summit in Northampton’s Guildhall brought together girls from YWCA Northampton and local decision makers from around the city to consider young women and skills.
The summit, chaired BBC presenter Janine Machin, pictured, was designed to help employers, educators, trainers and politicians understand how young women currently make training and career choices in Northampton, and how girls themselves can get involved in shaping careers and training services in Northampton.
The summit examined why barriers exist to young women and what can be done to remove them especially given that, in 2005 over 8,000 vacancies in the region were classed as being ‘hard to fill’ because of a shortage of applicants with the correct qualifications and skills.
Two young women from YWCA Northampton addressed the summit. Natalie said: "I’m standing here today to show you - on behalf of other women in the same situation as me - that we are keen to do any job, and not just the one’s we get pushed into at school or fall into when we leave."
Sarah said: "Our career choices are often made by the lifestyle choices we make. Young women would welcome the opportunities in a majority of the working environments – male-orientated or otherwise. We need the support of employers and other players to fulfil these dreams. We are keen to work and learn, but these doors are often firmly closed in our faces due to our personal situations."
Other speakers included Sally Keeble MP Angela Scheidegger from Northamptonshire County Council; Dr Maxine Rhodes, Director of Lifelong Learning at the University of Northampton, Rose Mooney from Unite, and Alison Bingham from East Midlands Development Agency.
12 November 2007 Girls allowed
On Friday 16 November at the Guildhall in Northampton, young women from YWCA Northampton will be talking about why girls should stop being pigeon-holed in ‘women’s work,’ receive better careers advice and work experience and have the opportunity to fill the employment gaps in the town.
The young women, alongside local employers and education and careers experts from the area, will be debating what needs to happen to ‘join the dots’ of skills, careers advice, work experience and employment. What will make things work for both young women trapped on the bottom rung of the career ladder and employers who have jobs to fill and can’t fill them?
The general public are invited to join this very important debate at the Guildhall, or just come along and listen to what others have to say.
YWCA’s research shows that while employment levels in Northampton are high, they are predominantly in low-skilled occupations. In 2005 over 8,000 vacancies in the region were classed as being ‘hard to fill’ because of a shortage of applicants with the correct qualifications and skills. Many young women who do not choose higher education end up in low-paid work despite them wanting to do so much more.
Thirty-two years on from the Equal pay Act and the Sex Discrimination Act, women in full time work still earn on average 17% less than men; a staggering £330,000 over a lifetime.
When Friday 16 November 2007, 1.30-4.15pm
Where The Guildhall, St Giles Square, Northampton
Be there!
7 November 2007 Queen's Speech
In the context of what we have been campaigning for, yesterday’s Queen’s Speech had plenty for us to get excited about.
An Education and Skills Bill was announced which raises the leaving age from formal education and training to 18 by 2015. This means not just leaving school, but also work-based learning and apprenticeships.
Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said there are four parts to the Bill:
- making sure that there are the right learning opportunities in a variety of learning styles
- advice and guidance with new national standards, and supportive mentors
- all ‘good quality’ learning will be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance financial support
- more employers will provide more apprenticeships.
We broadly welcome all of this but the challenge now is for the Government to explain how this will work in practice. For example, will the importance of informal learning in places like YWCA centres be included?
We will be working hard to put our case to the Government to make sure that the needs of girls and young women are at the heart of the planning when the detail comes to be worked out.
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30 October 2007 Shopping for support
Staff and girls from YWCA Wolverhampton were out and about in a local shopping centre last week talking to shoppers about the problems young women face in getting jobs - lack of skills and few opportunities.
Shoppers listened carefully to what the girls were saying and more than 500 pledged their support for this campaign.
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29 October 2007 TUC Commission on vulnerable employment
YWCA has responded to a consultation run by the TUC Commission on vulnerable employment. Earlier this year the Commission investigated the causes of, and solutions to, unfair treatment at work in the UK.
In our response to their consultation, we described how young women have limited rights in the workplace, suffer discrimination and lack affordable childcare and flexible working opportunities. This results in them receiving low pay and few opportunities to progress.
We described our particular concerns with apprenticeships - the fact that girls experience a £40 a week gender pay gap, have fewer opportunities than men to progress to level 3 apprenticeships, are less likely to be paid for overtime and are less likely to receive time off to study than male apprentices.
We look forward to hearing the Commission’s recommendations in the coming months.
Read the full response here.
10 October 2007 What about stereotypes and apprenticeship pay, Darling?
Yesterday’s pre-budget and spending review set out the Governments spending objectives for the next couple of years. We’re particularly pleased about a new public service agreement, which is to be introduced to narrow the gap in educational attainment between children from low-income families and their peers from wealthier backgrounds. One of the ways to do this is by giving one-to-one tuition in English and Maths to 300,000 underachieving children a year. This will help girls from poor communities get the basic skills they need to get quality apprenticeships.What about tackling gender stereotypes?
We are disappointed though, that Chancellor Alistair Darling didn’t say anything new about tackling gender stereotypes in work. His report talks about developing national standards for young peoples’ advice and guidance to make sure it’s free from stereotyping. But if these are not Ofsted inspected then there is no way of ensuring schools will adopt them. There is also no mention of whether or not tackling stereotypes will be a central commitment of the new adult careers service. Obviously we think it should be!
Pay up
The Government said that the Low Pay Commission will consider the impact of the National Minimum Wage on women when advising the Government on what rate to set it at. But at the same time it has chosen not to review apprenticeship pay rates this year. The gender pay gap in apprenticeships is twice that in the wider labour market. We think that makes a review twice as urgent!
1 October 2007 Kerriann tells Tories girls need help to get skills
Kerriann McCann is dyslexic and was badly bullied at school. When she was put into an exclusion class she felt punished; like she had been written off. Only when she left school and started coming to YWCA Doncaster did she realise she’d had no careers advice and had been given limited choices which would have an impact on the rest of her life. Addressing the Conservative Party Conference this lunchtime at a fringe event organised by YWCA, Kerriann said that before YWCA no one had taken the time to find out what she really wanted to do and what she was capable of. She wanted all girls and young women to get the sort of support she received at YWCA: “I really believe you have to reach out and work for your dreams. But you can’t do it without other people’s help.”
Now 20, Kerriann has developed confidence and skills and is considering becoming a midwife.
Kerriann’s story is similar to thousands of other stories of disadvantaged young women in England and Wales and is the reason why we launched this More than one rung campaign.
Deborah Annetts, YWCA chief executive says: “We are frustrated that the issue of gender in skills and employment policies is consistently overlooked. Safeguards need to be in place so young women avoid being channelled into the lowest paid jobs.”
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1 October 2007 New supporters signed up at Labour Party conference
Last week at the Labour Party conference we signed up nearly 300 delegates as supporters of our campaign.
Pictured above, Dawn Butler MP (Chair All Party Parliamentary Group, Youth Affairs) & Labour Party Vice Chair on Manifesto Youth Group, and Barbara Follett MP, Work and Pensions Minister speak at our fringe meeting.
Sarah Brown (wife of Gordon), Caroline Flint MP, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform and Jacqui Smith, Home secretary, dropped by our stand in the exhibition area to find out more.
At our fringe This week we've taken the More than one rung message to the Tory Party conference in Blackpool and we're hoping to get that delegates there will be as supportive.
26 September 2007 Cassandra says "Deliver on your words about work, Gordon"
Cassandra Morgan was a bright pupil destined for a good career. But from the age of nine, she had to become the main carer for her three siblings. With no support from school, she failed to get the grades she needed to continue her education and ended up earning £4 an hour as a shop assistant. On Tuesday evening she addressed the Labour Party Conference at a fringe event organised by YWCA England & Wales. Cassandra said she was pleased to hear Gordon Brown’s commitment to helping young people ‘reach for the stars’ in his conference speech. But she hopes the Government recognises that more needs to be done to address the discrimination young women still face in the job market:
She said: “The women in my life all do jobs like bar work, sales assistants, childcare – all of which are low-paid, and I watch them struggle. The men in my life have mainly got very well paid, skilled jobs. This doesn’t seem fair, and unless the government tackles this then I think Gordon Brown will be letting young women down.”
Now 21, Cassandra from Northampton, says she has developed a range of skills through attending YWCA and feels she has a lot to offer potential employers, “but I feel I am discriminated against because I don’t have ‘traditional’ qualifications.” Despite that, she hasn’t given up on her dream to “have a rewarding career with a salary that my family can comfortably live on.” She thinks all young women need the sort of support she has received at YWCA.
YWCA chief executive Deborah Annetts said: “We appreciate Gordon Brown’s commitment to providing employment for all young people, but we are frustrated that the Government consistently overlooks the issue of gender in their skills and employment policies. Unless specific safeguards are put into place to avoid young women being channelled into the lowest paid jobs, it could end up being a cosmetic exercise.”
26 September 2007 Billy Bragg pledges his support
This week YWCA has taken its More than one rung message to the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth. Among many who we have been talking to is Billy Bragg.
Musician and songwriter Billy is part of the Great British protest song tradition that stretches back over centuries of our political, cultural and social history. Billy's blue touchpaper was lit in the 1980s during the miner's strike after which his work became far more political. Social injustice is what really gets him going.
So it's no surprise that he has signed up to support our campaign. Thanks Billy!