Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Lisbon, 11-14 September 2002
Theme: Gender, employment, education and training.
Title: Was IT good for you? This paper describes a tracking study designed to examine the perceived attraction of Information Technology (IT) for women returning to training and education and to consider the immediate and delayed impacts of IT training for women participants who return to work.
Introduction
The need to improve the provision of continuing education and vocational education opportunities for women has been highlighted in recent international (e.g. European Union, 1995; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1999.) and national (Department for Education and Employment, 1998; Welsh Office, 1998) official documents. In particular, reference has been made to the barriers that exist to inhibit participation and to the difficulties encountered by women from various groups, e.g. single parents, women returners, immigrants, ethnic groups, disabled women and those located in isolated communities.
This paper will describe student tracking research commissioned by the Community University of the Valleys Partnership. The purpose of the research was to identify common results and experiences of over 2000 students who attended an ESF supported Information Technology course. The course, which began in 1989, was organised by the University of Wales Swansea (UWS). There is anecdotal evidence that students have found the training an important stepping-stone into new careers or further training, but until this research a systematic tracking exercise had not been undertaken.
Originally designed as a course for women seeking a return to work following fulltime childcare responsibilities, the course was designed to be attractive to parents, with school-hours provision and childcare support. Of the 2,024 students, 80% were female, 20% male, and a comparison of their experiences will be drawn. All students were required to be unemployed for at least six months prior to starting the course. Embedded in the Information Technology training was confidence building, educational and vocational guidance, curriculum vitae preparation and job application skills.
The courses were delivered in eight partnership community centres and on University of Wales Swansea campus. The community centres were located in isolated communities or in areas of deprivation due to the closure of the coal-mining industry. The provision of courses in local community centres has been identified as a factor in recruitment. European Regional Development Fund support provided excellent IT resources including networking to the UWS campus, which ensured equality in resources and shared curriculum development and accreditation.
The course tutors and administrators in the community centres and the University of Wales Swansea have worked in partnership to design and implement this study. We were interested in the students’ perceptions of the effects on them of the course, both immediate and delayed outcomes. The research methodology included questionnaires to all students, focus groups and case studies. This semi-structured approach was adopted because of the community-based nature of the course provision. It has resulted in both qualitative and quantitative information.
The context
As the needs of the labour market in Europe are changing, the identification of factors in the success of training for women returners gains importance. “In Europe and globally, the labour market is being directly affected by the shift from a manufacturing economy to one based on services and information technology – one in which knowledge is becoming a primary ‘product’. There is a growing need for more educated and more skilled workers.” (Etta Olgiati and Gillian Shapiro, 2002)
The population in Europe is ageing faster than in the US and these demographic changes mean that the gap in the workforce will need to be filled by those not currently active in the labour market.
More women are entering the labour market and there are a greater number of couples where both are working. “Women appear to be the main beneficiaries of the employment created in 1999. Female employment rates in the EU reached 52.5 in 1999, compared to 71.5 for men. The gender gap has therefore shrunk to 19% compared with 24.5% at the start of the 1980s.” (European Commission, 2000)
The historical and regional context reveals that the training programme has been undertaken against a backcloth of localised high levels of unemployment, and, particularly female unemployment, in South West Wales.
‘The unemployment rate for women under 25 years in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTBC) in October 1996 was 40%. The Neath area has the highest number of unemployed females (48%)’ ‘The Onllwyn ward is the 24th most deprived of 908 wards in Wales’ (The Dulais Valley Strategy, 1996)
Employment statistics for South West Wales also revealed that ‘There is a need to raise the skills levels in the management, administration and professional occupations in the area. 12.3% are involved in this sector which is barely half the Wales average, whilst the proportion of adults having a degree is less than half the Wales average’ (Dulais Valley Partnership, Strategy for Regeneration, 1996).
The localised picture in the other upper valley areas covered by the programme was and is comparable. Describing the situation in Wales, Glenys Kinnock MEP, in her speech on Poverty to Comite Des Sages, pointed out that ‘There is evidence to show that women are active in the workforce but in a very narrow base of low skill, low paid jobs.’
The ‘Childcare Audit in Wales found that ‘Lack of affordable childcare and quality training opportunities prevent women from entering the workforce.’ (Chwarae Teg 1996).
Teresa Rees (Commissioner, Equal Opportunities Commission Cymru) points out that ‘Wales stands out as the part of Britain where women are least likely to have vocational qualifications, and where there are pitifully few women in top jobs.’ P92 Mainstreaming Equality in the European Union (Rees and Fielder 1992)
Rees reports in ‘Mainstreaming Equality in the European Union’ that ‘The 1987 Recommendation on Vocational Training for Women and the series of Council Resolutions on the promotion of EO in Structural Funds created an opportunity for positive action measures in the field of training.’p.54 ‘While there are some excellent examples of positive action training projects, they tend to depend upon piecemeal funding and to be outside mainstream training provision.’p.48
The impact of childcare provision
As a result of the ESF funded programmes that allowed positive action training at this time, the 1989 courses were exclusively targeted at ‘women returners’. In South Wales demands from men to be included in this provision were common, as mine closures meant that large numbers of men redundant from the South Wales Coalfield were also in need of retraining.
By 1995-6 the provision eligibility was altered to include men, but it is interesting to note that in some centres ‘Women in Technology’ and ‘People in Technology’ courses were both running, as there was a demand for women-only provision. (Education, Training and Development in Valley Communities’ 1996. For some women, this was an important factor in the attraction of the course. Listing the three most important factors in the course, they cited “all women” and “meeting women in similar circumstances to me”.
“The personal needs of women may not be connected to the economic needs of society as a whole: they are educational needs which have always existed and will continue to exist, even when the urgent demand for more women in the workforce has declined.” (NIACE 1991).
‘Child-care provision or allowances and family-friendly hours can be regarded as ‘tailoring’ training provision to suit women.’ Rees,T. ‘Mainstreaming Equality in the European Union 1998 p44. Our study revealed some surprising responses to the provision of pre-school childcare. Only 18% of women and 9% of men respondents considered childcare support to be ‘essential’, with 70% of women and 71% of men deeming childcare support ‘un-necessary’. However, in the South Wales region the children start school at three years part-time, four years full-time. There is also a strong tradition of support from grandparents and other relatives, combined with an expectation that the very young pre-school child will be cared for full time by the mother. These factors could account for this response.
In order to provide for a target group of women who had been out of the labour market for a period of ‘domestic responsibilities’, family friendly student hours were deemed essential, with classes held in school hours and terms. However, it would appear that this requirement for school hours provision is not limited to women, as 51% of female respondents and 17% of male respondents found the provision during school hours ‘essential’. This could be explained because as coalmining and heavy industry ceased a significant number of men in the region became responsible for childcare. Many new employment opportunities were for light electrical component processing, which were accessed mainly by women.
The same model of school hours provision was continued for all courses. In one ‘Was IT Good For You?’ focus group, a barrier was identified if this structure was not available: “many of my friends would love to do a course. The reason being (…) don’t include term time in their training courses and many people would not achieve what they set out to achieve as they couldn’t attend when the children are off school.”
It would appear from our results that school hours provision is of significant, if not equal, importance to male and female adult learners in this region of South Wales. Comments recorded include “fitted the school day - accessible”. It would be interesting to compare these results with the situation in other regions of Europe that have experienced a similar change in the patterns of employment.
Student profile
The overall attendance on the course has been 80% female, 20% male. This can be viewed in the context of the ‘normal’ uptake of all continuing education courses in the community centres where the course is delivered, of 65% female, 35% male. Connecting Communities Cymru Project, Williams, M. 2001.
The age of the students was in part dictated by the eligibility criteria as proscribed by the European Social Fund. For the early years of running the course the students needed to be over 25 years and under 64 years (one year less than the standard age of retirement).
The following table shows the age of students cross-tabbed with gender.
Age / Female / Male18 to 25 / 4% / 1%
26 to 35 / 22% / 6%
36 to 45 / 37% / 23%
46 to 55 / 24% / 25%
56 to 65 / 8% / 30%
66 to 75 / 1% / 10%
76 or over / - / 2%
Effective course publicity
We had anecdotal evidence that the students heard about the course by word of mouth, and wished to establish if this was in fact the case.
The following table reveals that other methods were equally or more effective.
How did you find out about the course? / Female / Maleby word of mouth / 21% / 21%
newspaper advert / 29% / 30%
on a previous course / 9% / 7%
leaflet or local notice / 15% / 24%
recommended by friend / 13% / 7%
suggested by guidance worker / 5% / 8%
Previous educational experience
The questionnaire survey revealed that for 38% of women and 42% of men, the course was their first education or training since leaving school. This result was very important to the providers, the Department of Adult Education whose main aim is to widen participation in education and training. The course was deliberately marketed as “suitable for beginners” with no previous computing experience required. There was no selection interview or minimal education requirement. Some comments by students reveal their fears: “the first step inside is the worst,” and they appreciated an “informal friendly atmosphere,” with “approachable tutors”. The provision in local, community-run centres of education and training rather than in school buildings has been a deliberate policy, in order to overcome any anxiety and dislike of school memories by using a totally different environment.. Some revealing comments in the questionnaires appear to reinforce this policy: “Ability to seek advice freely and without ridicule” and “treated as an intelligent adult”, “pressure–free tuition” and “being treated as an equal, respect shown...”
Confidence Building
In the course design emphasis was placed on developing confidence and assertiveness. The course included a 20 hour module on personal presentation and job seeking skills where students worked mainly in groups. This was considered to be very important for many women when seeking a return to work, as it was recognised that time at home with young children contributed to a lack of confidence in making job applications. The aim of the personal development programme was to enable women to see that the skills they obtained at home were transferable. One respondent claimed that the course: “helped me to get employed, made me believe in myself” and others recorded “a feeling of achievement at the end of the course”. The focus groups and the questionnaires revealed that lack of confidence was indeed a major problem, and was affecting the social and personal lives of women as well as their ability to gain entry into the employment market.
‘I had recently experienced a traumatic time and was encouraged to join the course by my brother. I had lost all my self-esteem and was feeling really low. I did not have enough confidence to walk through the doors and was met by my brother at the main entrance. It was the best thing I ever done. My confidence gradually returned and I gained lots of new skills and friends. We still socialise outside of the organisation.’ In addition to specific confidence building exercises, students gained confidence from acquiring practical IT skills. They were able to meet employers’ criteria in job applications and often mentioned the ability to help partners, family and friends with IT as a positive benefit.
The questionnaire asked the students to list the three most important factors of the course. 29% of women respondents stated that it helped them to develop confidence, compared to 8% of men, who further qualified the statement with “confidence to use a computer”.
The confidence to use IT was seen as essential in the modern world: “no longer a dinosaur in IT”. “Getting IT literate means you have an extra essential skill, like being able to read or drive a car…”“the feeling of entering the real world at last.”
Local community provision
The provision of courses in local community centres contributes to the development of a powerful group relationship in that community. ‘The Learning Age’ (DfEE, 1998) (8) acknowledges the importance of community provision: “Learning contributes to social cohesion and fosters a sense of belonging, responsibility and identity. In communities affected by rapid economic change and industrial restructuring, learning builds local capacity to this change.”
In the South Wales Valleys, this thirteen year period has been characterised by enormous change, with the closure of the coalmining industry and reduction in heavy engineering industry. Students appreciated the social aspects of the course and the community locality, which included “new friends around the corner” and “an amazing camaraderie”. Many students recorded that they use their new skills in helping their community through assisting voluntary groups with their administrative needs. 87% of women and men felt that provision of the course in a local centre was convenient or essential. Many of the community centres benefited from the skills and talents of the IT students, some were employed in the centres and many continued to use the centres as a base for further training and social events. As 60% of women and 64% of men travelled to the course in their own car, this may reflect the paucity of public transport in the South Wales valleys. Considering that all students on the course were unemployed for at least 6 months prior to the course, this could be a reflection of the importance of access to personal transport in this region. 10% of women shared a car, 3% of men. An equal (approx) number of women and men walked (12%) or used public transport (9%).
50% of women and 41% of men who attended the course kept in contact with others who attended. For 26% of women this was for course reunions or as friends, compared to the ‘casual contact’ sustained by 28% of men.
The development of a group relationship has been enhanced by the organisation of the course into small groups, which build up a relationship with one, or at most, two tutors. The tutors are all ex-students of the course, and are able to empathise with any difficulties faced by the students. This means that the provision is flexible, so if a student meets difficulties due to caring responsibilities a special arrangement can be made. This flexibility and peer support are important factors in the retention of students. Recorded comments include “constant help and support”, and “friendly support and flexible tutors with an inclusive approach”.
The importance of flexible provision of training is highlighted in ‘A memorandum on Lifelong Learning’, SEC (2000) ‘The prospect of a sharply ageing European population means that the need for up-to-date knowledge and skills cannot be met by relying mainly on new entrants to the labour market, as happened in the past – there will be too few young people and the pace of technological change is too fast, particularly the accelerating shift to the digital economy.’