iVillage logo
Work & Money 
Advertisement
Topics
Hot stuff
Newsletters
Sign up for FREE!




 
Promotions

Women are vital

by Ingrid Karikari
Some say a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Whether you believe this or not, there’s no denying that the male-dominated UK economy needs women like women need chocolate, pay rises and pain-free pregnancy

As if we didn’t know it already, women are a vital force in society and, increasingly, the economy. The figures speak for themselves. Women love to work and the world of work needs women.

  • Female employment in the UK is at record levels. As of January 2003, 67 percent of British women are in employment and this trend is set to continue.
  • Within the next ten years 80% of the two million new jobs created in the UK will be taken up by women.
  • Across the EU, in just one sector, IT, there is a 600,000 shortfall of skilled workers.

The current climate of low unemployment, widespread skills shortages and the rocketing numbers of economically active women have started to bring the needs of working women, business and government together.

Brain not brawn
The growth of the knowledge economy has emphasised the need to nurture the skills areas in which women excel. The ability to build teams, manage projects, multi-task and communicate clearly and effectively are highly valued by employers. Women have the advantage here and need to build on it.

Skills and focused training are essential if women are going to increase their opportunities in this fast-changing economy. Women as a group are increasingly skilled and are gaining more and higher qualifications than ever before.

  • Between 1984 and 2000 the percentage of women with no qualifications fell from 46% to 20%.
  • In 2002, over 56 percent of women were awarded with over five GCSEs (grades A-C), compared to only 45 percent of men


 1 |  2 3 4 5 next print printer friendly send to a friend
  
RATE IT
Loading ....
Loading ....
Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon