Free to Choose: tackling gender barriers to better jobs, the EOC's final report into sex segregation, focuses on five highly segregated professions - construction, engineering, plumbing and information and communications technology (male-dominated) and childcare (female-dominated).
Research found that although 25 per cent of boys thought caring work sounded interesting, fewer than 3 per cent of the UK's childcare apprenticeships are male.
The report says the situation is 'damaging' for women because female-dominated professions offer much lower rates of pay. Average salaries in childcare are less than half those in engineering or plumbing.
The EOC praised some local training providers for encouraging men into childcare. Bradford City Council and Derbyshire County Council both run successful men-only introductory childcare courses, particularly aimed at increasing participation by black and minority ethnic males.
The report calls on the Government to take action to highlight the benefits of men in childcare as part of the National Childcare Strategy. This would require ring-fenced funding and support.
Kenny Spence, Men in Childcare project manager, said, 'Direct funding is very important. Since our project got funding from the Scottish Executive, we have been able to target many more men. Men won't come into childcare unless they're invited, so we need more appropriate advertising. In the last four years over 500 men have completed our course.'
Download Free to Choose from www.eoc.org.uk.
