Some
two million working women in the UK are missing out on opportunities to develop
their careers, while their male counterparts take the lead, according to
research out today.
The
survey, commissioned by management training provider Cambridge Online Learning
(COL), reveals that twice as many women as men have missed out on training due
largely to domestic demands or because they only work part-time.
Respondents
report the key obstacle to undertaking training was the lack of child-care
provision, closely followed by domestic demands, such as needing to care for a
relative.
Part-time
working also posed a problem, causing women to feel less entitled to training
than full-time staff.
Angela
Allen, women’s management consultant for Cambridge Online Learning, believes
the findings should raise concerns for employers across the board, as the
inability to recognise and unleash potential in working mothers and part-time
employees could cause business to lose out to competitors.
Allen
said: “Not one man in our survey cited lack of child care provision as a
hindrance to training, yet it proved to be the biggest issue for women.
"There
is still a widespread assumption that women are the homemakers and are
therefore expected to bypass their career prospects in favour of family
responsibilities.”
While
there is clearly a long way to go to achieving equal training rights for men
and women, the figures do, at least, suggest that the population as a whole has
good access to training. Ninety per cent of respondents had experienced no
problems in enrolling on or completing training courses.
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