Report prepared for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, September 2008.
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the interconnections between gender, gendered ideas, and careers decision making, with a particular focus on how and why young people navigate or avoid trades-related pathways. Our guiding questions were:
1. Do males and females experience the process of career decision making differently and/or inequitably?
2. If there are differences and/or inequities, where is the problem primarily located?
3. What policy – and other – levers could lead to a better gender balance in the trades, and/or an increase in women’s economic independence?