Women: the missing half of the technician workforce

Gender gaps in STEM are widely discussed. However, little attention is paid to the gender imbalance in technical career pathways, where the gap is often far greater.

Around a quarter of A-level physics students are female and around one in five engineering undergraduates are women. But fewer than one in ten engineering apprentices are female. And beyond that, in the labour market, the imbalance becomes starker still: just over 2% of skilled technical tradespeople are women, and in over two-thirds of technician occupations which experience a shortage, less than 5% of the workforce are women.

These are not marginal roles. Technicians underpin energy networks, transport systems, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure – sectors central to the UK’s industrial strategy. Persistent shortages in these occupations limit productivity and long-term economic performance.

Research carried out by the Burning Glass Institute for Gatsby shows that many technician roles facing the most acute shortages are also those with the lowest female participation.

“Where women make up just one or two per cent of the workforce, employers are drawing from a very narrow talent pool. Expanding participation in technical pathways is not only a matter of equity – it is essential if we want to strengthen the UK’s skills base and support future growth.”
Jenni French, Head of STEM in Schools at the Gatsby Foundation.

Gatsby’s work to improve understanding of technician careers shows that sustained exposure to messaging about technician careers can narrow the gender gap in those who are interested, but awareness alone is not enough. If the UK is serious about growth, it must address the structural barriers that continue to shape who enters – and stays in – technical careers.

Download the discussion paper here