To think that women don’t tend to do trades because it’s not encouraged at school?

[Merryoldgoat]

This not a bit serious thread but I’ve thought about it a bit recently.

Since we’ve had a house I’ve done a few bits of DIY at home, very simple like painting, to a bit trickier like laying laminate.

I really like it and I built a garden table during lockdown and have a few projects that I’ve got in the pipeline.

I get so much pleasure out of the woodwork in particular and I remember briefly doing woodwork at junior school and loving it.

It never occurred to me I could take it further. I went to an all-girls high school and the only practical stuff we did was art and cooking.

I’m not saying I’d have become a carpenter, but it’s something that’s gives me pleasure and I doubt I’m unique.

My DH hates DIY - I have painted, mounted the TV, assembled all our furniture, put up shelves, wallpapered etc without assistance but if I mention to a colleague thar I did that I’m met with real surprise and I get the feeling it’s not seen as a hobby for a woman.

YANBU - should we be encouraging girls to do more DIY and practical stuff from younger

YABU - it’s not necessary and girls will seek out whatever interests them eventually

As I said this is just a musing and not a big deal - I’m reflecting on a morning as I plan my jobs for the weekend.

I agree, OP.

There is absolutely no reason why women should not train to become tradespeople and earn their living as plumbers, decorators, mechanics etc. Such jobs can be a lot more interesting & rewarding than working in a bloody office.

Agree entirely. When I was at school in the early 90s classes were technically open to all but it was very much expected that ‘boys do D&T and girls do home economics’. Infuriating

I believe it is better now but I think a lot of that emphasis is on STEM rather than ‘the trades’ as such

Agree, I went to an all girls school too. I think we did D&T though. I think schools are better at offering all subjects to all kids now but I do agree.
I'd much rather hire a female tradesperson particularly if I was living alone. They exist, I know, but it would be great if there were lots!

I’m genuinely excited as I’ve got airing cupboard shelves to build this weekend and then I’m going to box in the boiler.

My husband thinks I’m insane (in an affectionate grateful way) but I’m just carrying on.

I do all the DIY in our home - mostly self taught using google videos 🤣 i have the same educational background as you OP and I'm also frustrated by the lack of practical skills we were taught? I would have liked to learn about woodworking (or basic skills anyway) and also basic plastering, things like taking a radiator off and on, wiring a plug etc

I agree too. I'd love to have done woodwork and maybe something like stone masonry but we were very much pushed into core academic subjects and It wouldn't have occurred to me to find out about apprenticeships or anything other than university back then.

@Merryoldgoat

I’m genuinely excited as I’ve got airing cupboard shelves to build this weekend and then I’m going to box in the boiler.

My husband thinks I’m insane (in an affectionate grateful way) but I’m just carrying on.

I get the same response from my DH when I come home with old furniture to adapt and paint or IKEA hacks to try out! So many times he will go out in the morning and a room will be one colour and by the time he gets home it's been painted a completely different colour🤣

I'm currently turning some IKEA spice racks into wardrobe rails for my daughters dolls clothes 🤣

I find that in modern education 'trades' aren't encouraged at all.
Yes the government bought in more apprenticeships but there is a bit of a snobby attitude from a lot of parents towards them. No idea why.
I would love to see more 14+ schools that focus on trades.

I don't know really. When I was at school I was surrounded by girls who didn't like getting their hands dirty, out of my class there was probably two of us who enjoyed woodwork and working on the farm. Not sure any amount of encouragement would have helped those that had no interest. However if someone shows an interest then they should be supported.

What I found worse is when I wanted to do traditionally male jobs I was discouraged and told girls can't really be firefighters or engineers and then was pushed into doing office work as that to me was better than the nursery or hairdressing they suggested.

Attended a mixed school
Boys did technical drawing, woodwork & metalwork
Girls did cookery & sewing

A few years later, the curriculum changed so that everyone tried all 5 subjects

Emphasis was on obtaining passes for maths, English & other subjects before any trade related subjects

I am glad that the world has changed & that there are more opportunities which includes for self employment too

@Ilovemaisie

I find that in modern education 'trades' aren't encouraged at all. Yes the government bought in more apprenticeships but there is a bit of a snobby attitude from a lot of parents towards them. No idea why. I would love to see more 14+ schools that focus on trades.

I found this too. When I was at school you were very much steered towards a-levels and university if you were achieving well academically. There was definitely the attitude that apprenticeships were inferior for some reason.

I’m not sure boys are encouraged into practical activities or trades now either! Having got boys and girls at schools-it’s all far more about academic qualifications.

School ime encourages NO ONE to do trades or think beyond going to further educational establishments. Now some of those run apprenticeships.

But school / teachers is not where those working in trades get their inspiration. Why would it be really?

By the way the voting question as it is explained in the opening post does not reflect the question posed in the thread title.

I know @LookAChicken

I’m just musing - it’s not an especially coherent thought I’ll admit.

It was Tony Blair’s Labour government who put the emphasis on education, education education and wanted 50% of students to go to university in his famous speech. As a result it was looked down on to go into the ‘trades’.
The irony is his son has made millions from a firm organising apprenticeships.
I wish I’d learnt a trade, they are earning a fortune around here.

Agree completely OP my background is in construction and DD is doing Construction and Engineering in place of a GCSE with the long term goal of joining the RAF and becoming an aircraft engineer. DD is the only girl in her class and really struggled a lot at the start, she still does to some extent, but she had her first module exam in January and got the results last month, she was really nervous and thought she'd done terribly but she smashed it got a level 2 merit, top of her class!!

I was thinking about this when our Gas Safe man was moaning that his hands were too big to put in some gap to tighten something. I realised i was physically so much more appropriate for all the fiddly bits of his job. Also when i see them crawling about in small spaces. I think power tools and better designed tools take out the need for physical strength

I was at Secondary school in the late 70's. A group of girls in my class objected to being forced to do cookery and needlework whilst the boys got to do woodwork and metalwork. Reluctantly the school allowed a small group of us to take part in the woodwork class although the woodwork teacher was clearly not on board with this. Whilst the boys were taught how to do wood joints, the girls were given off cuts of different woods to glue into a block and sand down to make a snail. I was very proud of my snail but it has been absolutely no use to me in my adult life and certainly didn't give me a taste for carpentry.

I should add that DDs head of year (a woman I dislike) did try to discourage DD from doing C&E and actually put her down for health and social care instead. This only got changed on my insistence.

@rabbitheadlights

Oh that’s superb for your daughter - she must be so proud

She really is, it's done wonders for her self confidence.

Woodwork was my favourite subject in the 80’s at school. I really think more girls should do electrical engineering. Also BT engineers earn a good salary and are needed everywhere. More boys should do care because some people really need male carers and there aren’t enough of them. Some fab male carers out there though and it is amazing seeing the difference in some people because of the carers sex.

A few years ago there was a really good TV advert promoting engineering careers in the Navy. You might remember it :

“If you can fix a skateboard, you can fix a bike. If you can fix a bike, you can fix a car. If you can fix a car you can fix a helicopter, a Destroyer, a radar system.”

The young person depicted doing all this cool fixing stuff was, of course, male. Wouldn’t it be great If there were two versions of the advert, one showing a young woman fixing a helicopter?

Most trades are kind of handed down.

My dad was a carpenter and two of my brothers are.