Academic Journal
Diversifying apprenticeships: learning from recruitment and retention practices for women in male-dominated industries.
| Title: | Diversifying apprenticeships: learning from recruitment and retention practices for women in male-dominated industries. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Behenna, Sarah, Hobbs, Laura, Fogg-Rogers, Laura |
| Source: | Higher Education, Skills & Work-based Learning; 2026, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p705-718, 14p |
| Subject Terms: | Mentoring, Women employees, Diversity & inclusion policies, Construction industry, Employee recruitment, Apprenticeship programs, Diversity in the workplace, Engineering education |
| Abstract: | Purpose: This paper evaluates the application of a tiered mentoring model to increase the recruitment and retention of women in male-dominated Degree Apprenticeships (DAs). The aim was to assess whether structured mentoring, alongside outreach, could diversify DAs to fill regional and green skills gaps. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods case study evaluated the "Women in Industry" programme at a UK university in 2024, using demographic/application records and interviews with 17 mentees and 9 mentors across Engineering and Construction standards. Findings: Mentees reported greater confidence, visibility and belonging; mentors highlighted reflective practice and cultural awareness. Key themes included navigating male-dominated environments, peer support and role models. In the first six months, female applications across six apprenticeship standards rose by 60%. Originality/value: This paper demonstrates that mentoring and representation are important to increase diversity as well as the sheer numbers of people applying to DAs, embedding support structures within employer–university partnerships. The project demonstrates how mentoring can be a dual strategy for recruitment and retention in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fields, particularly when coupled with inclusive policy shifts and outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Higher Education, Skills & Work-based Learning is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Complementary Index |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 14 StartPage: 705 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Mentoring Type: general – SubjectFull: Women employees Type: general – SubjectFull: Diversity & inclusion policies Type: general – SubjectFull: Construction industry Type: general – SubjectFull: Employee recruitment Type: general – SubjectFull: Apprenticeship programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Diversity in the workplace Type: general – SubjectFull: Engineering education Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Diversifying apprenticeships: learning from recruitment and retention practices for women in male-dominated industries. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Behenna, Sarah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hobbs, Laura – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Fogg-Rogers, Laura IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Text: 2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 20423896 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 16 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Higher Education, Skills & Work-based Learning Type: main |
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