JIVE - Creating Change for Women & Girls in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology

Case Study - Wider Horizons Work Placement Programme

The Wider Horizons Work placement programme aims to give the girls involved:

A greater knowledge of the ‘World of Work’ and women's roles within it.
An increased awareness of opportunities available to girls in industries they may not have considered otherwise (e.g. Science, Engineering, Technology and the Built Environment).

Traditionally girls still go into what the Equal Opportunities Commission call the 5 ‘C’s: Catering, Cleaning, Clerical, Cashiering and Caring jobs. These jobs tend not to pay as well as some of the male dominated careers and this is why overall nationally women still earn about 18% less than men. Girls tend to choose stereotypical work placements and what we aim to do is to add more job opportunities to the usual list they would consider. Ultimately we hope the girls will have a better understanding of the world of work and make a career choice based on what suits them best.

Each school has been asked to identify 4/5 girls who they think will get something from an enhanced placement. We will link each of the students to employers who are keen to encourage girls into their business. We hope to encourage them to consider some new jobs that they might not have been aware of otherwise.

Girls are placed in local companies; this helps them find out what is available in their community and how that fits into national and international organisations. We will make sure that the company each girl is matched with will be in easy traveling distance.

At the end of the placement we will ask the girls and their parent/carer to tell us what they thought of the programme so that we can develop more exciting and interesting work placements in the future. We also encourage teachers and parents/carers to take an in interest in what they are doing, what they have learned, which areas of the company employ most women.

Meg Munn MP has been reviewing the impact of the work of the Wider Horizons project, and told JIVE, "I want to see all young women get the opportunity to take up a career that suits them and not be constrained by the usual choices. This project really makes a difference. I spoke to one young woman who's placement had really changed her views. She had decided she wanted to become an apprentice engineer and had the confidence to pursue her choice."

Award

The Wider Horizons programme won a National Career Award in 2007, for the support and encouragement provided to the young women, their teachers and the employers. The partnership working, high level of collaboration with the local education business partnerships and other organisations, such as the local engineering scholarship programme, construction companies was also recognised.

The Wider Horizons programme has been selected as a good practice case study by the Careers, Education and Guidance team of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.