Careers of Professional Women

Women in the UK had a distinctive work pattern in 1980, with a high proportion of women returning to work by the time they were forty. This pattern was of recent origin but was likely to be sustained. Agencies responsible for education, training, and employment failed to recognize it as normal, leading to a lack of flexibility in employment and insufficient retraining or part-time work. This book examines seven careers that require a minimum of three years training and considers the implications for individuals and social policy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 226 pages
Publication date: 24 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1980, women in the United Kingdom exhibited a distinct work pattern that set them apart from other countries within the European Economic Community (EEC) at the time. A notable characteristic of this pattern was the significant proportion of women who returned to work after temporarily retiring to care for young families. Although this trend was relatively recent, it was believed to have the potential to persist.

Womens current life trajectory often followed a predictable sequence: school, training, work, withdrawal, and retirement. Despite the prevalence of this pattern, educational, training, and employment agencies often treated women as exceptional cases, failing to recognize it as a standard and providing inadequate flexibility in employment opportunities and insufficient retraining or part-time work options. This problem held significance not only for qualified women who had invested substantial personal resources into their careers but also for the nation in terms of maximizing the effective utilization of its workforce.

The skills required in many occupations traditionally pursued by women are typically acquired through on-the-job training or through relatively short formal training courses. However, this book delves into seven careers that necessitate a minimum of three years of training. Following a foreword by Baroness Nancy Seear and a chapter that introduces the concept of the "bimodal career" and the challenges associated with withdrawal and re-entry, each chapter is authored by an individual who has conducted original research into the specific occupation under discussion, with a particular focus on womens personal experiences within that particular vocation. The concluding chapter examines the implications of the findings for the individuals involved and for social policy.

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032300382