There is a skills shortage in Ireland and more generally in Europe and internationally. Despite progress in recent years, Ireland continues to lag behind its European neighbours when it comes to the numbers of young women taking up an apprenticeship career in comparison to their male counterparts. In 2025 the number of female apprentices had increased slightly to just under 9% nationally and is attributed to the recent introduction of newer ‘consortia-led’ programmes in sectors like finance and hospitality.

To date, there has been no significant improvement nationally in the numbers of females in traditional apprentice programmes. This is particularly the case in craft trade apprenticeships. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS, 2024), stated that women comprised just 1% of the Irish craft trade apprenticeship population. They highlighted severe gender imbalances at the time, noting five craft programmes with no female participants and eleven others with fewer than five young women. The problem of very low female apprentices persists in the still heavily male-dominated traditional craft apprenticeship programmes.

Research Study Aim: To explore the barriers and challenges to female apprenticeship, experienced by apprentices, instructors and post-primary career counsellors, all female.  

Primary research question: ‘Why are there such small numbers of females in the skilled trade apprenticeship sectors despite measures being taken by government, particularly in the last few years to address the issue?

The objectives were:

• To explore what can be learnt about female apprentice experiences to implement and further develop reforms to improve female apprenticeship uptake.
• To advance apprenticeship knowledge in post primary education and update the provision of career guidance support and advice to young women.
• To share knowledge on the important role of family, friends and other stakeholders on the supports needed for aspiring female apprentices.
• To enhance the skills, mobility and career prospects of female apprentices through structured training and a technical and vocational career framework.

This paper uses insights from the literature that focus on post primary school career guidance, barriers to female apprenticeship, and challenges females experience in skilled craft trades.

Career guidance is comprised of career counselling, career education and career information. The relationship between career guidance and vocational education and training is generally misunderstood and under-explored (Watts, 2009). Post primary career guidance is further complicated by schools’ difficulties to find the resources to provide information on apprenticeships (Guichard, 2001. Holt-White, Montacute and Tibbs, 2022; Magee, Kuijpers, and Runhaar, 2022; Ertelt, Frey, Hochmuth, Ruppert, and Seyffer, 2021).

Barriers to females in apprenticeship include discrimination, male dominated manual trades, stigma around apprenticeship as a career option for women, gendered roles and gendered expectations, sexism and the perception of a ‘lesser’ path when compared to higher education career options (Agapiou, 2002; Miller, 2005; Ryan and Lőrinc, 2018; Struthers and Strachan, 2019; Ferm and Gustavsson, 2021; Wulff, Bridges, Bamberry and Krivokapic-Skoko,2022).  

Work challenges females face include long working hours, presenteeism, pressure to adopt masculine stereotyping and ‘male characteristics, like aggressiveness, and lack of organisation support (Ness, 2012; Martin and Barnard, 2013; Brockmann, 2021; Mumtaz, 2022; O’Brien, Hanlon, and Apostolopoulos, 2023; Kenny 2024 Ness).

This paper argues for an entry to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for young women that is more adaptable and supportive. It shares results that highlight the importance of post-primary career guidance counselling, and the role of family and friends in supporting the aspiring female apprentice. It shares information on what resources are necessary to improve female apprenticeship uptake and what are the major influences on an individual’s decision to enter or move away from considering a career starting as an apprentice.

This small qualitative study sought to identify and explain the complex problem of barriers and challenges to female apprenticeship. The design was influenced by phenomenology and informed by a relativist ontology that drew on an interpretivist paradigm, enabling the researcher to make meaning out of the meaning others have made of their experiences. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with female apprentices, female craft trade instructors and post primary school career guidance teachers. Following ethical approval, participants were contacted via gatekeepers who shared an information leaflet on the research study that also included an invitation to participate and share their experiences. They self-selected to participate in the study and were drawn from the current apprenticeship programmes, instructors delivering apprenticeship programmes and school career guidance teachers. The interview guide was designed to gain a deep understanding of an individual’s experiences of the pathways to apprenticeship for females including recruitment and selection, the qualities and competencies of female apprentices, the work environment, and how to improve female recruitment to apprenticeship opportunities. Following transcription of the interviews and a member checking procedure, the data was consolidated prior to analysis. A constant comparative method of analysis was used to construct categories and themes to capture the recurring patterns in the data using Quirkos software (Saldana, 2021). Qualitative research is inherently subjective; therefore, ensuring trustworthiness, rigour, and integrity was central to this study. The researchers adopted a staged thematic analysis that yielded a more comprehensive and systematic engagement with the data, enhancing the depth of analysis and reinforcing this study’s credibility (Braun and Clark’s, 2006). More importantly, this approach enabled a deeper understanding and engagement with participants’ voices, ensuring that their perspectives were accurately represented and valued throughout.

Low uptake of apprenticeship programmes by young women in Ireland continues to be a complex and ongoing problem. Factors such as information, entry points, pro-active recruitment and selection prior to entry are critical. While post entry support, co-coaching and organisational supports are critical in retaining female apprentices. Findings identify the critical and highly influential role post primary career guidance plays in creating information and pathways to an apprenticeship career. It is seen as a substantial resource in bridging the gap to apprenticeship careers for females. Secondly, family and friends play a key part in influencing young girls into apprenticeships. “You can’t be what you can’t see” was stated by several participants. Finally, the need to educate parents, career guidance teachers and students was critical to female apprenticeship take-up. Recommendations include: (1) that practical subjects be made available to all students, particularly in all-girl schools. (2) The importance of career guidance should be emphasised within the school system. (3) An evaluation should be made of the teachers’ experience and knowledge of apprenticeships before being employed in the career guidance role. (4) an increase in campaigns to raise awareness of female apprenticeships in skilled craft trades together with school visits by current female apprentices. Despite the valuable insights gained from this study, it is not without limitations: a limited number of participants may not represent the full spectrum of faculty experiences. Areas for future research include (1) a longitudinal study on the provision of apprenticeship career counselling in schools and its impact on female apprentice uptake, and (2) a study of how ETB apprentice programmes create, foster and manage conducive and supportive learning and working environments for female apprentices.

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