Companies are more likely to train male staff

Businesses are nearly 20% more likely to send men on work-related training programmes compared to women, according to new findings. A study by the Knowledge Academy has revealed that women across Britain and Europe appear to be neglected in favour of male workers. The study compiled data from several institutions, including the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE).

Around 80% of men were offered workplace training in a study that investigated 32 European Countries, while just 60% of women were offered training by their employers. On top of this, men were also discovered to be more likely to receive a pay rise because of their training. Taking part in work training led to employees being 54% more likely to find themselves with a promotion or new job offer within five years, yet women are seemingly not getting the same opportunities.

When women are given training, the research discovered that they weren’t always getting the same training as men, with women more regularly offered courses on equality, diversity and health and safety while men were likely to get the opportunity to develop leadership and management skills.

Comparatively, Britain ranks low among European countries with Turkey, Switzerland and Italy being the worst offenders. However, there was just one European country where women were offered more training opportunities than men, Lithuania, where they were 1.3% more likely.

“The differences we have found between training provision for men and women reflect wider issues within the workplace when it comes to gender inequality,” explained Dr Fiona Aldridge, Assistant Director for Development and Research at NIACE. “Advancements in flexible working have helped to ensure that there are now a record number of women in work, but this flexibility is often accompanied by a hidden pay penalty: the hourly pay difference between full-time and part-time workers is currently 25%.

“Women are also much more likely than men to be found in low paid sectors such as retail, hospitality and social care.”

With many celebrating gender equality today with the ‘Day of the Girl’, how surprising is it to still find studies like this in 2017? Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn