Are girls discouraged from a career in mechanics?

The latest research from ClickMechanic, an online marketplace for car repair, has revealed that more than half of UK adults believe that young girls are discouraged from a career in mechanics, as a result of it being a male-dominated industry.

Of those surveyed, 58% argue that the gender imbalance will have a negative influence on a young girl’s decision to enter into this profession.

Looking at other factors; 50% feel that the stereotype of a mechanic will put young girls off, whilst 40% believe that the lack of role models has a significant influence. 34% blame a lack of exposure to the opportunity, after which 21% believe that a fear of the opinions of friends’ plays a noteworthy role.

The research found that women feel that the majority of the factors have more of a negative influence on young girls than men do. The most obvious difference of opinion is in the lack of exposure to the opportunity, of which 41% of women argue compared to 27% of men.

Andrew Jervis, co-founder of ClickMechanic, said ‘It is sad to see a number of industries, such as car repair, still being dominated by one gender. Whilst there has been some improvement over the years for mechanics, there is still an obvious imbalance which needs to change. There is no reason a woman cannot excel in this career and as such, young girls should not be negatively influenced if they show an interest.’

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