Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address the pay gap between women and men with vocational qualifications.

Whilst girls outperform boys at school, many still do not choose paths that lead to careers in the highest-paying professions. We know that occupational segregation is a cause of the gender pay gap, and the Government is taking action to address this. Eliminating the gender pay gap is a key priority for this government, and that’s why we are encouraging girls to consider a wide range of careers through the independent ‘Your Life’ campaign, and guidance called ‘Your Daughter’s Future’, which helps parents support their daughters’ subject and career choices.

Last year 53% of apprenticeships were started by women and the number of women starting apprenticeships in engineering and manufacturing, which carry a significant wage premium, has more than tripled since 2009.