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<p>As apprenticeships and skills are devolved matters, statistics provided are for
England only. Women have accounted for over half of apprenticeship starts in recent
years (53.4 per cent in 2016/17, 52.8 per cent in 2015/16, 53.0 per cent in 2014/15).</p><p>
</p><p>The number of starts in STEM apprenticeships (both male and female) has grown
from 95,000 in 2012/13 to 112,000 in 2016/17, when they accounted for 22.6% of all
starts. The proportion of STEM apprenticeship starts by female learners was 7.7% in
2014/15, 8.3% in 2015/16 and 8.2% in 2016/17.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking action to
address gender disparities in the take up of STEM-related apprenticeships through
a range of activities. These include taking part in the Year of Engineering 2018 and
use of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA) Apprenticeship Diversity Champions
Network (ADCN). We have also made it easier for part-time workers to undertake apprenticeships,
such as those with caring responsibilities and lone parents.</p><p> </p><p>Since being
established last year, the ADCN has advocated activity around championing women in
STEM apprenticeships to address this issue, including developing best practice to
share across employers.</p><p> </p><p>We are also taking action in regard to employers
and career advice. Working with employers, we are taking action to help inform the
decisions girls make about their future education and career choices. We are undertaking
work to assess the breadth and effectiveness of current careers provision in schools
and colleges on STEM, and evaluating approaches to careers provision to encourage
girls to consider jobs in STEM industries. Finally, we are involved with wider government
work such as Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s STEM Ambassador
programme.</p>
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