If women are to successfully participate in the communications system: of future Canadian society, and enter traditionally male (technical and science- related) occupations, they must be provided with basic training in mathematics and science. Ideally, this training should begin in kindergarten and continue through the post-secondary educational system. At present, adult women who, as victims of systemic sexual discrimination in the educational system have not been provided with a basic knowledge of mathematics and science, desperately need opportunities to acquire this knowledge and to get specific training for entry into non-traditional occupations. A functional pre-requisite for entry into many of the training programs offered by the federal government is prior knowledge of mathematics and physics. Consequently, the National Training Program with its emphasis on job-specific skills training for technical occupations is failing to meet the basic training needs of women.

Among the goals of the National Training Program is a 42 percent overall participation rate for female trainees, and a 30 percent participation rate for female trainees in non-traditional areas. (11) However, given the lack of emphasis on scientific training in the education of women and systemic sexual discrimination in all areas of society, these goals are not being met. Moreover, the number and proportion of women trainees have declined in all areas of institutional and industrial training. In institutional training programs, the participation rate for women trainees has declined from 29.1 percent in 1981/82 to 25.7 percent in 1982/83. (12) In the industrial training programs, the number of women trainees has declined from 27.1 percent in 1981/82 to 22.7 percent in 1982/83. Furthermore, the number of women in WINTO (Women In Non-Traditional Occupations) programs has declined in every province from 1981 to 1983. In 1981/82 there was a total of 2,192 trainees in the WINTO programs. By 1983 this figure had dropped to 1,226. (13)

In her examination of the National Training Program, Henderson (1984) found that:

. . . . although women generally do not enter the national training program with less education than men, they generally tend to lack in those areas of expertise most needed to get a non-traditional job, e.g. maths and science credits for computer technology, or practical experience with simple mechanics, tools, etc.. (14)

Henderson subsequently concluded that there is a need for "bridging" programs for women, particularly in the areas of pre-trades and pre-tech programs in which women can acquire at least some training in basic mathematics and science, particularly in physics.


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