Context: The persistent low female participation in male-dominated trades and VET courses is not attracting a high level of public attention and policy action. There are determined, albeit ad hoc actions by advocates to raise awareness of the economic and social benefits that can result from increased female participation in the male-dominated…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the issues affecting successful employment outcomes for young women in male-dominated careers, focusing on those generally accessed via a traditional Australian apprenticeship model. Current patterns of participation in trades-based fields of education and training reinforce the highly…

The study investigated the Zimbabwean female participation in physics, with special emphasis on the factors of identity formation considered as contributing to developing an orientation to physics by female students. The main study from which this paper was taken explored the influence of identity formation on the Zimbabwean Advanced Level…

The place of women in the manual trades is examined in this paper, which sets out strategies for encouraging them to study and work in areas such as building and construction. Such strategies include introductory and pre-apprenticeships courses, clustering female students, and support from teachers in opening up job opportunities. This paper is…

The horizontal segregation of the workforce along gender lines tends to assign women to lower paid, lower status employment. Consequently, schemes to address segregation have focused on preparing women to enter non-traditional occupations through training and development processes. This article examines models to encourage women into…

Analysis of British national data sets shows that, although women's representation in the sciences increased, occupational outcomes differ for men and women. Women are much more likely to be underemployed and are overrepresented in teaching. Labor-market policies, as well as education policies, need attention. (Author/JOW)

An Australian study of 62 women in traditionally male-dominated areas of vocational education found most teachers and male classmates were unsupportive, and the atmosphere was generally oppressive. Sexual discrimination and harassment, isolation, pressure to perform were typical. The women were strong-minded and successful, and most support came…

Describes some characteristics of women interested in skilled trades careers. Demonstrates counselor attitudes and responses in counseling women who are interested in nontraditional careers, including the direct-discount approach, the rational protective approach, the subversive-support approach, and the expansive-facilitating approach. (RC)

Investigated religious beliefs and career planning among 315 female seniors in 1 public religious and 2 public secular high schools in Israel. Secular school students, as compared to religious school students, expressed greater interest in and preference for male-dominated occupations. Religious orientation, more than other background variables,…

Examines the factors that affected the career decision-making of adolescent females and young women in undergraduate science, engineering, and technology programs. Qualitative analysis was used to uncover seven themes: transition from high school, educational influences, family influences, academic issues, coursework management, gender issues, and…

Analyzed women's enrollment levels in mathematics, engineering, and computer science in Canadian universities and the change in these levels between 1972 and 1995. Found vastly different patterns of enrollment in the three disciplines (for example, computer science enrollment did not increase at all during the studied period), suggesting that…

In spite of major changes in women's work force participation, there is evidence that many female adolescents have limited their career aspirations because of stereotypical thinking in their career decision making. Evidence that these attitudes may be equally true for intellectually gifted females is inconclusive. This study was conducted to…

Data is presented on the reactions of 512 secondary girls to a Women's Training Roadshow, a 2-day career convention designed to encourage girls and women to consider nontraditional careers. Findings indicate that while students enjoyed and learned from the convention, the majority remained attached to traditionally female jobs for themselves. (IAH)

A survey of Year 12 Australian students in coed private (n=105), coed public (n=57), and all-female (n=78) schools revealed a relationship between gender-role identity and traditional/nontraditional career choices; occupations were more gender neutral, but blue- and pink-collar jobs remain stereotyped. Type of school did not influence girls'…

Women are significantly underrepresented in those occupations most highly valued in Western society. To investigate sex role stereotypes as the discriminant variable between female students in male programs and in traditionally female programs, female Israeli vocational high school students (N=1,138) completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BRSI),…