Role models are very stable in occupations requiring vocational training. According to the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, gender distribution has hardly changed since 2005. However, women prove to be more flexible than men. They are more likely to decide on a male-dominated job than vice versa.
Thus, the respectively other gender enters into female- or male-dominated professions "only very slowly". Even so, young women have increased their percentage in seven male-dominated professions by at least four per cent between 2005 and 2012. In part, this signifies a doubling of numbers, albeit starting from a rather low level, say the occupational researchers.
With a plus of 6.3 per cent, the largest increase of the proportion of women was registered in the vocational education and training course for becoming a production mechanic. By now, this industrial occupation features 14.2 per cent women working at milling machines and work stations.
However, a significant increase of the percentage of women was registered only in six other professions requiring vocational education and training: In the field of building and object coaters, including, for example, plasterers as well as drywall and façade builders, the share increased by 5.6 per cent. In the trade of baker, women achieved a plus of 5.3 per cent. The share of women increased also in the professions of painter and decorator (plus 5.1 per cent), aircraft mechanic (plus 5.1 per cent), automotive painter (plus 4.9 per cent) and wood technician (plus 4.0 per cent). The already low percentage of women has further decreased in the professions of IT specialist and chimney sweep.
In hitherto female-dominated professions, the proportion of women increased rather than decreased, for instance, in the professions of visual marketing designer, tourism business administrator and florist. In the past seven years, the percentage of men was registered to increase above the four per cent mark in only one female-dominated profession: that of specialised shop assistant in the food industry.
Looking at the long-term development from 1980 to 2011 reveals one thing at least: whereas more than 20 years ago only 5 per cent of all female apprentices in a male-dominated vocational education and training course graduated with a professional qualification, this share has by now doubled to 10 per cent or more. BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser said that businesses "are well advised to make more effort in thinking outside the box in this matter". He continued to say that "this is the only way of tapping the full potential in order to find the urgently needed apprentices."