THE number of women participating in programmes run by FAS, the State training agency, has doubled since 1990. But men still outnumber women in almost all programmes because of the rapid expansion in the number of palaces on offer.
A FADS report, Women in Focus, shows that between 1990 and 1995 the number of women participating rose from fewer than 18,000 to more than 35,000. However, female participation rose only from 35 per cent to 39 per cent because the number of men on courses rose from 32,000 to nearly 55,000 during the same period.
The report says the emphasis has been on promoting women's participation across the full range of FAS courses, rather than simply increasing overall female participation.
Particular effort has been made to recruit them to the specific skills training courses. These are the courses most likely to lead to a full time job.
By 1995 women formed a majority in several training schemes.
These include the enterprise training scheme, which helps participants develop entrepreneurial skills. Altogether 785 women were trained in enterprise skills in 1995, or 63 per cent of the total.
In the Return to Work scheme women comprised 92 per cent of participants and in travellers training workshops they comprised 59 per cent of participants. In the community enterprise programme, where there were more than 54,000 participants during 1995, 37.4 per cent, or 20,364, were women.
Women have fared worst in the traditional apprenticeships. This is partly because the old time served apprenticeship is being replaced by a new standards based course, and placements are controlled by employers.
No comprehensive breakdown is given of the number of married women on FAS courses or the age of female participants.