Social Diversity and Difference Seminar The University of Birmingham

April 27th 2005

BARRIERS TO MATURE WOMEN ENTERING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.

Dr. Alison Halstead, University of Wolverhampton,

Carol Bunyard, Warwickshire County Council, and

Dr. Lynn Martin, University of Central England

Abstract

This paper looks at a successful pilot programme that ran under a European Social Fund Grant that was awarded to Coventry University between 1998-2000. The initiative was to encourage women to consider opportunities to study or work in the field of science and engineering.

The scheme was initiated in community, outreach centres and primary schools in Warwickshire. The initial attraction for the female participants was in keeping up with the ICT skills that their children were acquiring, but the pilot programme expanded to include science and technology tasters, followed by the opportunity for the women to gain places on the University Foundation year in Science and Engineering.

This paper analyses the backgrounds of over 200 participants in terms of their qualifications, technical background, age, dependent children and aspirations. From 195 starters 75% of the women continued into education and over 20% went on to study science and technology. 19 graduated from engineering courses in 2004 from Coventry University , and 1 from the University of Warwick to teach science in secondary schools, others are graduating this year. The programme and subsequent access to higher education for these women from disadvantaged backgrounds without formal qualifications, was a success for community and family learning and the seamless progression route provided an example of best practice.

An inclusive and joined up model of working across the educational sectors from the community, schools and further education to higher education is proposed.

Background

Access to Higher Education has been on Institutions agenda for over twenty-five years. In 1987 the white paper ‘Meeting the challenge’ (1) provided strong support for widening access with mature women being one of the key groups. Pre 1992 universities and further education colleges were already active in this area and developed schemes to provide mature adults with degree level education. Science and Engineering schemes existed but were not as popular with women as access entry to the social sciences. In 1991 a second white paper ‘ A new framework’ (2) led to wider participation and expansion but the numbers of women entering science and engineering remained very small. Over the period 1996 – 2000 successive government policies and interventions sought to engage socially excluded groups in learning and ICT was identified as being crucial to delivering these new learning opportunities (3-5). In the last ten years the potential for women to enter the workforce in a technological has been recognised (6, 7) and large amounts of targeted funds have been released through regional and national development agencies. It has been recognised that ‘Educating women yields a higher rate of return than any other intervention in the developing world’ (8). In 1998 funds were released under the ‘New opportunities for Women’ European Social Fund initiative, to Coventry University. The project was established to reach out into the community, schools and partner colleges. The next section briefly outlines features of the design of the scheme to ensure the removal of as many barriers to participation as possible and provides the key features of the scheme that reached out to 195 women in Warwickshire.

Barriers to participation

Factors cited as barriers to women learning include timing, type and location of training (9), it is widely considered that gender differences in the use of ICT may also provide further hurdles that may prevent women from entering the more technological disciplines (10). In targeting women the recruitment and location of learning was designed to be as local as possible to the participants’ community. The timing of the course was arranged during the school day to support those women looking after children. The courses were directed on an individual basis and there was no media promotion.

Two additional barriers that are reported to prevent women gaining access to further qualifications are any additional costs and childcare (11,12). Many women who have dependent children do not always realise that the majority of study schemes are free and that childcare is available and can be paid for. This European Social Funded scheme was allocated funds to ensure that the costs for fees, travel and or childcare were met. In promoting the opportunities for women within the programme this was made explicit. A major advantage of the conditions of this childcare was that a relative or friend could look after the child and receive payment as well as registered childminders and nurseries.

The Approach

There is a substantial body of evidence that women without formal qualifications automatically dismiss opportunities in science and engineering. To attract participants strong community links were developed with schools providing a route to target parents and communities, without formal advertising. Community groups and agencies publicised the programmes, including libraries, schools, playgroups, doctors and health visitors. The Schools took a very active part in sending out literature to parents and encouraging the children to bring back responses. As well as providing venues schools drove the recruitment campaign, keen to involve family members in the development of their own and children’s ICT skills.

The mature women were encouraged to help their children and update their own IT skills. Once groups were established and gaining confidence with basic IT, additional tasters in science and technology were added into the programme. In addition participants had an option to join an industrial tour and attend taster science and engineering days at their local college and University. The programme encouraged the women to take at least 1 NVQ level 3 award in Communication and Entrepreneurial studies, to prepare them for further studies in FE or HE.

Project Activity

The initial activity concentrated are targeting women via:

  • Primary schools
  • Community Centres
  • Mother and Toddler Groups
  • Further Education Colleges
  • Local Libraries
  • University Open Days

Primary Schools

Field workers contacted the Head teachers to gain approval for a mail drop to parents via their children and also to arrange to use the school premises for the IT courses. This very personal approach linked to the informal network at the school gates provided the greatest take up.

Community Centres

The programme was launched under the umbrella of ‘New Opportunities for Women’ at several community centres including ethnic minority Bangladeshi and Afro-Caribbean groups. The response was mixed. All the groups ran but the numbers of women attending varied and only small numbers completed the module.

Mothers and Toddlers Group

Two courses ran as a result of recruiting mothers from these approaches. The numbers in each case were small but these participants were incredibly enthusiastic. One comment from a woman who came to a science taster evening on the programme said

‘If I had known it was a taste of science I would not have come this evening, but I have had such a good time and I am now thinking of taking a science access course’.

In essence this was what ‘New Opportunities for Women’ was all about.

Further Education Colleges

The majority of Further Education Colleges have access to Science and/or technology courses. Under this ESF programme, colleges were made aware that the ‘New Opportunities for Women’ scheme would pay fees (if applicable), travel and childcare, for any women who was otherwise unable to do the course. The scheme supported the childcare and travel for 12 women studying at Tamworth College, Coventry Technical College, Stratford College and North Warwickshire College. All have gone on to study Science and technology courses in HE. This was a major success of the scheme and demonstrates how rapidly women without formal qualifications can enter Higher Education once certain barriers have been removed.

Local Libraries

Links were made via the University for Industry hubs and one short course was run for women who were involved with the scheme. The programme supported the development of their IT skills but did not manage to recruit them to science or technology.

University Open Days

These open taster days were organised to encourage any women to find out about opportunities in science and technology. They were open to women who were participating in all the courses running under the initiative as an optional extra and were particularly useful where women were ready to take the next step. They removed the mystery that traditionally surrounds universities and allowed the women to see them as places that they could come to study.

Methodology

All participants completed a written questionnaire as part of the enrolment onto the programme. In addition participants were given the opportunity to join a focus group and have one to one interviews. Questions related to personal characteristics, motivation for participation, level of involvement with school and personal views of school.

Once the data was collected, the results were subjected to a thematic review rather than statistical analysis, although the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was used to look for trends and variables.

Project Outcomes

Table 1-4 presents the details of the course participants in terms of age, employment history, ethnicity and highest qualifications and destinations on completion of the course. 195 women completed and gained a NVQ level 3 module. An additional 42 women initially joined the scheme but did not complete the award. Data is not available for these women and they are not included in this analysis.

Age / Duration of unemployment / 13-24 months / 25-36 months / Over 36 months
19-24 / 10 / 10 / 5
25-49 / 5 / 55 / 95
50+ / 15

Table 1: Women Participants by age and length of time of unemployment

Table 1 shows that the vast majority of the women from all categories had been out of the job market for over two years but were positive about trying to find employment or gain additional qualifications. The greatest number came from the 25-49 age range.

The women from rural areas represented 42%, single parents 35%, ethnic minorities 15% and the remaining 9% women with some form of disability as shown in Table 2. In terms of unemployment the single parents and ethnic minority groups had been unemployed for the longest period times.

Disadvantaged group / Duration of Unemployment / 13-24 months / 25-36 months / Over 36 months
Disability / 1 / 5 / 10
Living in Rural Area / 11 / 35 / 35
Ethnic Minority / 10 / 20
Single parents / 3 / 15 / 50

Table 2: Women participants by disadvantaged group and unemployment duration.

In terms of entry qualifications (Table 3) 33% of the women from ethnic minority groups had degree level qualifications from their country of origin but these were not recognised in the UK. 77% of participants had no qualifications above GCSE.

Highest qualifications / No qualifications / CSE/GCSE/O Level / A level/NVQ Level 2 / Degree
Disability / 5 / 9 / 2
Living in Rural Area / 38 / 25 / 15 / 3
Ethnic Minority / 8 / 12 / 10
Single parents / 45 / 20 / 2 / 1

Table 3: Highest qualifications on entry to the course with disadvantaged group.

The interesting aspect of this programme was the high level of commitment from the students and the tenacity with which they participated. 195 women completed the programme and 77% continued on courses within the community, FE college or HE access or degree programme (see Table 4). Of the women that completed this introductory course, 38 women continued into science and technology programmes.

Destination / Outreach course / NVQ Level 2/3 FE college / Degree course / No known course
Disability / 14 / 1 / 1
Living in Rural Area / 35 / 19 / 7 / 20
Ethnic Minority / 13 / 2 / 15
Single parents / 34 / 18 / 8 / 8

Table 4: Destination of participants by disadvantaged category.

Reasons for the high levels of participation

This programme has been one of the most successful in reaching out to women in the community and for high completion and progression rates. It is worth reflecting on some of the reasons for this.

  • The educational provision was seamless, students from the community visited companies, the university, or the further education college to sample sessions;
  • Tutors came from all three sectors and operated within all programmes where needed;
  • The modules were developed and assessed by all staff from all sectors;
  • There was a common aim – to offer the best opportunity to all participants and there were no barriers between stages.
  • The information on the next stage was clear with strong tutor links and it was not possible for a student to feel isolated.
  • Students had realistic expectations of the next stage.
  • The community based groups formed strong informal support networks that have been retained.

Too often funding requirements make the different educational sectors compete for the same funds and students to meet institutional targets. In this case the University secured the funds in partnership with the colleges and community centres.

Why did the women take part?

Question / Percentage of Women
To find out what my kids were doing / 35
My children made me / 16
My neighbours were going / 9
To learn about new computer developments / 10
To do something different / 8
To help me get a job / 15
Other reasons / 7

As might be expected from an initiative based in schools and the communities the main reasons given for participation were linked with the home and the family and not to the acquisition of ICT skills or to seek work. As with a mother who identified that she had only attended because of her nine year old, often participants had felt pressure to support their primary age children:

My son was so keen for me to come in and see his computer, he just kept on about it, so I did drop in and then kept going, it isn’t difficult at all and you just get better and better. Everyone was so supportive and we even rang each other up to sort work out.

The high levels of participation and completion come from the co-operative and collaborative way in which the women worked so they could all succeed. The focus groups and individual interviews revealed this had been a very effective feature, since they were able to learn together and reinforce their learning in a community context. Usually an informal network might spring up over the lifetime of a learning programme, supported by the tutor. In these cases, participants felt an ownership of the programme and established links outside course time from the first day of the taster sessions. Comments on this informal networking were characterised by a focus on mutual encouragement, on the work required for the course:

I would never have had the nerve to come on something like this – I’ve seen things before and not taken part, but this felt different because we were going as a group. I knew that if I needed help I’d get it, well, there’s safety in numbers. (32, single, white, two children, no formal qualifications.) After the Foundation Year she went to Warwick on teacher training for secondary science. Graduated in 2004.

It’s just been great – you get so much confidence from being together at something like this. (26, married, ethnic minority, no formal qualifications.) Continued on ICT and went to work in development for a local SME.

We’ve been talking about it in the playground. Mainly it’s about helping each other cope with what the course wants. (27, single, white, three children, no formal qualifications.) Started an Open University Foundation Year in technology.

The playgroup is where we go over next week’s tasks! We’ve even gone round to the nearest house to prepare work for our tutor as soon as the kids have gone in ….(In 2000, 23, married, white, one child). After the Foundation year went to Warwick in 2001 but dropped out returned to Coventry University in 2002 due to graduate in Maths from Coventry University June 2005

If we hadn’t been to Peugeot I would never have thought of manufacturing for a job but it was really exciting. (In 2000, 27, white, married, two children).Graduated in 2004 with First Class Honours in Manufacturing Systems from Coventry University.

The strength of these informal networks provided momentum, focus and thirst for the next stage and eight women from one community centre applied for the University Foundation Year in Science and Technology. All eight entered degree courses in 2001 and into vocational graduate roles in 2004.

Conclusions

The Project demonstrates that through a partnership approach and specific funding which enables all the learner needs, perceived or actual barriers to be addressed, individuals from widening participation and priority groups can be encouraged to participate achieve and progress. Major barriers identified in other studies such as childcare and travel costs, that can delay or suspend progression were eliminated. The methods of working highlighted in this programme, demonstrate that a joined up and shared approach act in an encouraging manner by ensuring that participants have realistic expectations of the next stage of their studies and good advice on options. By linking in to existing staff in the partnership organisations, long-term support to individual learners is readily available. Often, short-term funded projects can facilitate action in a community or specific areas of work but when the funding has ceased and the project finished, individuals can be left feeling ‘what now?’ Research has repeatedly shown that through a ‘partnership approach’ educational opportunities can be initiated and sustained after the life of the project by the partner organisations.