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 went to a school that had been an all boys school.
However technology was CDT (mostly working with woods or plastic) or Technical Drawing, no "girls" subjects at all.
I don't recall any pressure either way to do or not to-I did TD, and was in a class that was 3/8th girls, which was approximately the proportion of boys/girls in the year.

But there was always a higher proportion of boys in the top maths set, in our year it was about 75% boys. However the top English and top French sets were 80-85% girls.
I think CDT was slightly boy dominated, but art very girl dominated.

I really don't recall there ever being a feeling that you could/couldn't choose a subject because you were a boy/girl. However there were a few of the girls that I knew who chose an option because their friend was doing it.

I only remember two people from my year who's ambition was on the practical side (tbf I can't remember what most people wanted, so I have no idea whether there were others, and there were at least a couple of army hopefuls, which I'm not sure whether you count those).
The two who I remember were:
Chef: boy
Long distance lorry driver: girl

I have no idea whether either attained those ambitions.

The men I see doing the school run are almost always tradespeople. I think that it's one of the few jobs with potential to balance with family life.

My diy skills are basic and learned off YouTube. Hardest task I've done is lay laminate and found it very satisfying.

When my DS said there was a girl on his electrician course I was really surprised but at the same time I was annoyed at myself for being surprised. So stupid and good for her. I agree, it should be encouraged more but for some reason it isn’t. I’m in a role where if people hear that there’s a Male One they’re really surprised so it definitely works both ways 😂😂

This is aninteresting thread, as a female engineering and wood work teacher I do get some females taking my subject but there seems to be very little interest. I try to encourage girls into STEM subjects but they often get sucked into taking more academic subjects. It's such a shame because the female trades people I know do so well due to a lot of single women not wanting males in their homes whilst alone themselves.

Just to point out, the girls I have had in engineering mostly do very well, quickly progressing to manager level in global companies. One of my students is on a 6 figure salary working at Rolls Royce, makes me wish I had taken a different route at university.....perhaps if I was encouraged at school, but in the 90's the closest I was allowed to the workshop was product design!

The uk doesnt produce enough tradespeople male or female! Where I live there are massive shortages of them and they can pretty much charge what they want. You can wait months for a decent plasterer or to have an extension built. We should be really encouraging these practical roles.

Sexism is unfortunately still rife in our society. I can’t imagine what it must be like for a woman to work on the average construction site, it must be insufferable. Many jobs are unofficially closed off to women.

@MaLarkinn

Most trades are kind of handed down.

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

But not to you? Are you female? Is that why?

Snap by the way. Chippie dad, 2 brothers in the trade. I was actively discouraged from doing it by my dad. I think this was more because of the attitude of men on sites at the time (you couldn't walk past a building site or a white van without some kind of comment) than any issue with strength or ability.

I think it starts even before school. Boys are called to watch and later help their dads with jobs around the house whether dads a tradesman or just does a bit of DIY. Skills are learned gradually this way and when it comes time to choose a career it seems natural to choose a trade particularly if their dads a tradesman - they can join the family business, they know they can do the job, they know what the job is worth.

Girls don't seem to get the same treatment as often - they're sent off with mum to go shopping, or help granny with her housework, or to read a book.

This is all my experience of my family what I see in my friends families and how they raise their children. But I also see how boys and girls are becoming less inclined to do anything with their mum or dad, and would rather play Fortnite or whatever so things could all change to level the playing field.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

The uk doesnt produce enough tradespeople male or female! Where I live there are massive shortages of them and they can pretty much charge what they want. You can wait months for a decent plasterer or to have an extension built. We should be really encouraging these practical roles.

Hence the vacuum which allows rogues and incompetents to masquerade as "tradesmen" when in reality, they're little more than odd job men but conning people into letting them do skilled work.

My school taught gave us a choice of doing either home economics and sewing OR design technology and woodworking, while us girls weren't overtly discouraged from the woodworking/D&T option, it was obviously expected that only boys would pick it. I ended up being one of 3 girls in that class, and it didn't feel at all comfortable- lots of comments about how I could change my mind if I wanted. I knew I wasn't wanted there, and the boys would monopolise the equipment (and be allowed to), plus if any extra curricular projects came up they'd be offered to the boys first.

Funnily enough I didn't bother carrying on with it after school.

Same thing happened with IT tbh. Turns out I'm good at IT, maybe I'd be good at a trade too.

@LonginesPrime

There is absolutely no reason why women should not train to become tradespeople and earn their living as plumbers, decorators, mechanics etc

Absolutely agree, although from a practical perspective, I know as a woman I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable attending people's private homes for work on my own not knowing who's in the house or whether it's safe.

I'd personally feel much safer working for a company on larger projects.

Not to discourage people, though - I'm glad you're enjoying the DIY, OP!

A couple of years ago we had a big painting job done by a woman who advertises in the village magazine. We talked, briefly because she never stopped for a coffee, about working as a woman in her trade and if she found that women living alone were happier to have a woman painter in their homes. She thought that it's not only women who prefer a woman but also older couples were happier, they seemed to feel less likely to get ripped off. She said that she assessed the potential risk when she went to do an estimate and so far hadn't been wrong.

School are judged on exam results and pupil progress (academic only).
There's a whole generation of BOYS and GIRLS who feel like failures because they are rubbish at maths and English, when they could learn and pick up trades and earn a great salary.
Our education system is broken.

@poppycat10

I agree that trades are seen as a male thing, but there are probably lots of women who would prefer to deal with another woman. I think if you are a competent female plumber or electrician you will be even less short of work than the men.

If I had a practically minded child I'd definitely steer them to learning a trade. Nothing to stop them doing a degree afterwards but plumbers and electricians are never out of work if they are good.

Just wanted to pick up on this.

There is huge demand for female domestic tradespeople. But commercial and industrial is where the money is, and that's a completely different game. It's much more difficult (not impossible) to get a foot in as a woman and much more difficult to progress.