Gender and career choice: exploring the axiom of disadvantage in vocational education

Gender and social class remain key determinants of occupational choice and thus reproduce (dis)advantages in career formation. Vocational education and training (VET), the largest sector of 16-18 education in England, is the nexus of disadvantage and opportunity. Young women are congregated in VET in curriculum areas which yield lower financial rewards and have limited career progression. This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of thirty-six participants: young people training in VET, vocationally trained adults and professionals associated with VET and skills through semi-structured interviews. The research examines the interaction of structure and agency in young people’s career formation. The findings show that young people in VET focus on agency, without structural support which might enable their career development.