International Women's Day & National Apprenticeship Week: What Industries have the Most Female Apprentices?

13 Mar 2015

Here come the girls! More than a million women started apprenticeships between 2010 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, and in light of International Women’s Day, we took what industries are attracting female apprentices.

The latest government figures show that more than 1 million women started apprenticeships between 2010 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014 compared to just 400,000 in the first 4 years of the last parliament.

The number of women starting apprenticeships in business, administration and law has almost trebled, with over 370,000 women beginning apprenticeships in this sector between 2010 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014 compared to just 130,000 between 2005 to 2006 and 2008 to 2009.

Over the same periods, the number of women starting a career in education through an apprenticeship has soared from just over 1,000 to over 20,000.

Nick Clegg said: “The fact that we’re seeing more women seizing the opportunity is proof that apprenticeships are no longer seen as ‘jobs for the boys’, whilst also marking a positive new era where university is no longer seen as the only option.

However, it’s not all good news: in the “Construction, planning and the built environment” sector, the number of women taking up apprenticeships has fallen from 1,610 in 2005/6 - 2008/0 to 1,250 in 2010/11 - 2013/14 - that’s 360 fewer female apprentices.

Here’s a break down of industries and the number of female apprentices joining them under the current government and the previous government:

Agriculture, horticulture and animal care

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 8,970 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 10,630 female apprentices

1,660 more female apprentices

Arts, media and publishing

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 210 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 1,860 female apprentices

1,650 more female apprentices

Business, administration and law

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 133,680 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 373,070 female apprentices

239,390 more female apprentices

Construction, planning and the built environment

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 1,610 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 1,250 female apprentices

360 fewer female apprentices

Education and training

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 1,520 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 20,190 female apprentices

18,670 more female apprentices

Engineering and manufacturing technologies

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 4,810 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 18,180 female apprentices

13,370 more female apprentices

Health, public services and care

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 98,150 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 345,570 female apprentices

247,420 more female apprentices

Information and communication technology

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 6,860 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 14,360 female apprentices

7,500 more female apprentices

Leisure, travel and tourism

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 12,460 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 21,040 female apprentices

8,580 more female apprentices

Retail and commercial enterprise

2005/6 - 2008/9 – 12,460 female apprentices

2010/11 – 2013/14 – 227,550 female apprentices

107,310 more female apprentices

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