Platform 51 providing women with new and varied opportunities

Platform 51 have recently starting running the Women Volunteers for Health programme, that provides training and support to 400 women to become health volunteers in their own communities of St Helens, Doncaster, Nottingham and Wolverhampton. 

The women come from a wide age range and a variety of backgrounds.  The programme gives them: training to develop their skills and knowledge and a chance to obtain accreditations in volunteering and support to build their confidence and assertiveness and access to volunteering opportunities.  Once women are volunteering they provide mutual support to each other and stay in touch with Platform 51 for guidance and advice when needed. 

Marcia Banasko (pictured), Platform 51 Women Volunteers for Health worker, describes the first few months of delivering the programme in St Helens. 

"I am working with 16 women aged 19 to 55... The women have achieved so much in a few weeks.  They love having something to get out of the house for.  It has given them confidence, they have met  like -minded people and they have all achieved an accreditation. 

A lot of the women taking part have disengaged with education for some reason:  mental health problems, alcoholism or having a baby at a young age.  They have described to me the very negative experiences of education and they have no confidence in their own abilities.    We work to deal with these underlying problems; if you don't deal with them, then the women can't move on.  Gaining an accreditation in just a few weeks is a massive deal and has boosted their confidence to continue with the programme. 

I have personally gained a lot from this programme.  I have never taught adults before; I have always worked with young people.  I was nervous before I started but this has been a really positive experience for me because they all want to be here and learn. 

I want to provide lots of women with skills, knowledge and an understanding of health and social care. I want their volunteering experience to eventually lead them back into employment, as so many of them have disengaged from work. One woman said to me that she knows this will be a long process but says at least she's on the ladder." 

The project is funded by the Department of Health, Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund. 

One woman's dreams come true

Five years ago, Natasha Watkins fell through the doors at Platform 51 Doncaster, drunk and just out of prison after 20 previous custodial sentences. In July 2011 her dreams came true when Belinda Grashion offered her a job as an Office Administrator.

Belinda Grashion first came across Platform 51 in June when she attended a networking event in Doncaster for women-led businesses co-sponsored by Platform 51 in association with Icon Women, a social enterprise supporting women in business. Introduced to Natasha after the event, Belinda immediately appreciated the strong potential that Platform 51 saw in Natasha.

Belgray Properties Director, Belinda Grashion, commenting on why she had chosen to recruit Natasha, said: "Firstly I was impressed and moved by her story and her determination to carry on regardless. Her spirit shone through and she had a "will do" attitude; something that is difficult to impart in people. She had many skills that she did not appreciate in herself and I could clearly see these. She had already come a long way and I feel humbled and privileged to be able to offer her a position within our company. I know she will earn the respect and trust within our company and will become a valued member of staff"

As an Office Administrator Natasha will learn how to deal with customers, answer and make appointments, learn conveyancing procedures for house buying, research property prices and market conditions and general accounting.

Natasha's case is a clear example of how the work of Platform 51 can contribute to the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged women and how with appropriate support women can turn their lives around.  It is powerful evidence of how Platform 51's partnership programme with local employers can bring jobs and opportunities for women.

Hear Natasha and Belinda telling the story on BBC Radio Sheffield (skip to one hour 19 minutes of the podcast).

More not in employment, education or training

The Government has released the latest figures for young peole not in education, employment or training.

Rebecca Gill, director of policy at Platform 51, said:

"The current rise in youth unemployment and the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training, so-called 'NEET', is very worrying. It will disproportionately affect girls who are more likely to be without work or not in education, and who tend to be employed in services seeing the greatest cuts.

"We welcome the government's commitment to provide 75,000 additional apprenticeships to try and address the current crisis. Almost one million young people now face the prospect of no education or employment, and with almost 20% of 16- to 24- year-old girls without work or not in education or training, we are very concerned that the most disadvantaged girls and women are likely to be left behind.

"Many of the girls we work with are forced out of education and training by systems that don't meet their needs. They tell us that single-sex environments and flexible timetables are crucial in helping them fulfil their potential. We call on the government to review the services for women aged 16 to 24 and unlock women's talents which could benefit the UK economy by up to £23 billion every year."

Inequality in employment

If Andy Gray had said: "more women should know the offside rule" he might still have a job. But when Andy Gray said "women don't know the offside rule" he highlighted the limitations and discrimination girls and women face in the world of employment. There is absolutely nothing about the offside rule women cannot understand, but many feel that football is such a male domain that women do not belong there.

Last week in The Times Phillip Collins wrote an article entitled The advance of women in work is still in progress in which he argued that women are facing opposition to equality in many areas not just sport. We agree and our response to Phillip Collins' article was printed in The Times today. It said:

Sir, Philip Collins ("The advance of women in work is still in progress" Jan 28) represents the views and experiences of the thousands of women we work with when he argues that it is not just in sport that sexism is still rife. From the careers advice girls receive in schools to the pensions they receive, women are still facing serious discrimination and disadvantage. We know from the girls and women we speak to every day that their aspirations and opportunities are consistently limited by stereotyping and an outdated idea of the kinds of work women should do. The consequences of this inequality in employment are clear to see with twice as many young women living in poverty as young men. This is not just a problem for women, but something that affects all our lives. If girls and women are not able to meet their potential in their personal and work lives, it is not just those individuals that suffer, but children, families and employers, who are missing out.

What is encouraging is that Sky TV took prompt action, and by sacking Andy Gray sent out a clear message: discrimination against women will not be tolerated.

What is also encouraging is that Sian Massey was on the pitch as an assistant referee in the first place. Women are starting to move into traditionally male spheres, but there is still a very long way to go.

At Platform 51 we support girls and women to aspire to more and we let them know what is possible. We run careers days to give girls a chance to try out male-dominated occupations such as building, carpentry and plumbing. We campaign for women to get chances to work in predominently male job sectors and we provide evidence to the Government, officials and relevant bodies to demonstrate the impact that discrimination has on women throughout their lives.

YWCA Wolverhamton's young women don hard hats and get working

Young women from YWCA Wolverhampton tried their hand at building, carpentry and plumbing at the Women in Construction Day with Wolverhampton Homes.

The young women received training, spoke to other women working in construction and applied for employment and further training. Guest speaker Lynda Waltho MP gave a speech promoting the benefits of female representatives in the construction industry

One of the young women Jude Featherstone said: "I found the whole day really informative. I have an interest in plumbing so I was really excited to do the taster session. Today has given me the motivation and belief that I can learn a trade."

Pay increase for lowest paid apprentices

YWCA welcomes the announcement from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) that the lowest paid apprentices will get a pay boost from £80 to £95 a week.

The increase means that from Saturday 1st August 2009, apprentices will be paid at least £95 a week. 

Young women will particularly benefit from the increase as they are most likely to receive the minimum pay rate. According to latest Government figures, the average pay rate for female apprentices in hairdressing and childcare is less than £95 a week. The average weekly pay for apprentices is more than £170 a week.

YWCA's More Than One Rung campaign has called for apprentices to be paid the equivalent of the National Minimum Wage. The campaign also seeks to challenge gender stereotypes whereby young women are being steered into 'traditionally female' apprentices which tend to be lower paid. 

Wolverhampton Homes hold women in construction event

Wolverhampton Homes has hosted a Women In Construction event day to encourage more women into a trade.

The organisation and its Decent Homes partners - Bullock, Frank Haslam Milan and Thomas Vale - organised taster sessions in painting and decorating, plumbing and carpentry.

Women from YWCA and local schools and colleges attended to try out a trade, talk to other women working in construction and to apply for apprentice opportunities.

Pat McFadden MP was also the guest speaker who gave his support to the day.

Shazad Ahmed, project skills co-ordinator from Wolverhampton Homes, said: "Many women came along to the event which was really successful, it was all about breaking down the stereotypes that construction is only for men.

"I know many people who attended also found it really useful to talk to women already in a trade and get their first hand knowledge and experience."

Rachel Symons, YWCA centre manager, said: "The young women really got involved in the day, getting stuck into tasks they never thought they would be doing and getting an insight into a job sector unfamiliar to most of them. It proves that career advice shouldn't always be steering young women into traditionally 'female' jobs, but should be showing the full spectrum of options available to them."

Low pay commission releases 2009 report

The Low Pay Commission is calling for apprentices to receive a national minimum wage in its 2009 report, published last week. However this will be at a lower rate than for other workers.

They have recommended the Government ask them to look into an appropriate minimum wage rate for apprentices in next year's report. The Government will respond to their recommendations in the summer.

YWCA's Parliamentary officer Helen Berresford said: "If the Government does accept the recommendation it really is great progress and a fantastic step for the More than one rung campaign and us.

The Commission's report also asked for small increases to the current national minimum wage for all workers and for the age at which people receive the adult rate to be lowered from 22-years-old to 21. Both of these recommendations have been accepted. The national minimum wage will rise by 7 pence per hour in October 2009. However the age at which employees receive the adult rate will not change until October 2010.

Helen Berresford said: "We campaigned to get rid of youth rates altogether however, this small change is still a win and welcomed."

James Anthony, UNISON national executive council member said on behalf of national minimum wage campaigners: "Against the backdrop of recession, when we need to be putting more money into the pockets of the low-paid, it is a surprisingly low increase.

"We are pleased that the government has responded positively to the LPC call for the adult rate to start from age 21. However, this small move actually highlights the continuing discrimination by age, preserved in the national minimum wage, which is again exempted from the provisions of the Equality Bill.

"Our message to the government is: we want and need more bold action to raise the level and end the injustices in the national minimum wage. We believe our campaign has played an important role in challenging the proposed zero increase, in winning the change in start of the adult age band, and the proposed inclusion of apprentices. Our campaign continues."

YWCA is part of the campaign to end age discrimination in the national minimum wage.

Girls should have more to do than get drunk, says chief exec

The new apprenticeship strategy announced by the Government is a huge step forward in providing young people with the path to a decent job. YWCA was pleased to see that many of the things we pointed out to the Government  (as told to us by girls and women) have been considered:

• It has acknowledged how many young women find themselves in poorly-paid apprenticeships and wants to tackle this;
• It has proposed a pilot scheme to help tackle the entrenched problems of gender segregation in certain job sectors;
• In job sectors which have traditionally been dominated by men, YWCA's recommendation is that femal apprentices entering male dominated sectors need support from 'mentors' is reflected.

The strategy also recognises that schoolchildren need information about the different pay rates, working conditions and expectation for different jobs and careers. Once again, this is something we have been calling for.

YWCA welcomes the fact that apprenticeship pay will be looked at in the strategy. However, with many young women still struggling on low apprenticeship wages we are appealing to the Government to set apprenticeship pay at the equivalent of the National Minimum Wage.

The challenge is for this ambitious plan to be fully implemented and YWCA will be following the evolution closely to ensure that it becomes a meaningful option for disadvantaged young women to avoid a lifetime of hardship in poorly paid jobs with no prospects

Sally Copley, director of policy, research and campaigns at YWCA said: "Apprenticeships are clearly an important doorway for young people into a job with future prospects. However there is still an inherent gender injustice that we hope will be genuinely addressed through this plan. The highest paid apprenticeship is in the electro technical field, and is exclusively male. It pays double that of the lowest paid, hairdressing, which is dominated by women. That just cannot be right."

For more information read our briefings and information sheets on jobs and training.