By Judith Parsons, Professor of Practice, Leadership & Management at Hult International Business School, Consultant & Coach

International Women’s Day on March 8th once again highlighted that we remain some way from parity in terms of women’s representation in senior roles, especially at C-Suite level. In the UK, whilst we have seen progress towards the informal goal of 40% of Board roles being occupied by women, the picture overall is patchy and somewhat fragile. Much of the media coverage leading up to March 8th was focussed on the ongoing challenge of ‘the broken rung’ – a phrase coined to describe the pattern that persists in many UK organisations of women’s careers slipping progressively behind their male counterparts from the very first-level managerial appointment.

Women disadvantaged from the very first managerial appointment

According to research published every year by McKinsey & Company, in 2024, for every 100 male, first-line leader appointments, only 89 white women were appointed. Even more concerning, the figures for the promotion of women of colour are around 50% of those for white women. Of course, there are variations between sectors and occupational groups. But these high level figures confirm that we’re up against a challenge which is deep seated and, most importantly, structural. There are still lots of largely unsupported arguments that women don’t want seniority or may not have the capabilities or exposure in key areas such as strategic leadership or P&L management to explain why employers don’t see women coming through in sufficient numbers for senior roles. The fact is that the talent pool is being diminished right from the earliest stages because fewer women are being recruited into those critical first rung promotions.

Organisations still need to address diversity at a structural level

Important as they are, diversity policies will not deliver the results they aspire to unless organisations are able to recognise and change this structural pattern and fix the broken rung.

We strongly believe that the advanced apprenticeship programme has the potential to be a critical and effective intervention if it is used as a strategic talent tool to advance workplace equality. And we’re glad to report that we are seeing inspiring examples of employers who are doing exactly that.

Apprenticeships are not new but, in many people’s minds,  they are still associated with the post-16 vocational route. However, the increase in the number of advanced apprenticeship standards has opened up a career pathway for people already in employment in a wide range of professional areas such as project management, improvement and ‘people professional’ areas, with many offering parallel accreditation through professional bodies such as CMI. These advanced standing apprenticeships are now gaining more recognition as a powerful and innovative talent development tool among employers and wider adoption could make an important contribution to fixing the ‘broken rung.’

“We see large numbers of workers—often from marginalised communities—benefiting from this alternative route to higher education. For many, the apprenticeship is not just a professional opportunity, but a way to overcome barriers that have historically held them back.” Dr. Hari Mann, Dean of Hult Ashridge and Academic Director of Hult Apprenticeships at Ashridge

Apprenticeships in Leadership & Management offer a unique, low cost opportunity to redress the balance

The Level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager is a good case in point. The standard provides an excellent grounding for anyone who is embarking on a first line management career or is identified within the talent pool as future management and leadership potential.

It provides an integrated learning experience covering the inter-personal and functional skill sets that are known to  be sought-after by employers and in short supply within the labour market. In particular, this apprenticeship emphasises relational skills, self and team organisation, project management and technology and resource management. Essentially, it is a firm grounding for anyone who is perceived to be a potential future manager/leader or is already in a first-line functional management role.

In terms of a high-calibre platform for women wanting to build a career, it can provide a dedicated pathway as part of a wider career development strategy for women. Equally, it can be positioned as an opportunity for men and women but with careful attention to equal participation of women and other underrepresented groups such as women and men of colour.

“I chose the Level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager as part of a development program as I was approaching heading up a department. Coming from an engineering background, modules such as Team Management & Leadership gave me the soft skills I needed.” Francesca Altamura, Level 5 Class of 2023

Partnering with forward-thinking organisations to upskill from within

We’re working with excellent organisations who have been using advanced apprenticeships to diversify their workforce and specifically to advance women in non-stereotypical careers. They include financial services, construction, engineering and more.

These firms have also used the apprenticeship alongside other career development interventions such as stretch opportunities, which involve women at an early stage in their career leading a major project or business challenge. This combination of offering women visibility, formal learning and the practical experience of running a major project often proves to be a significant career accelerating combination.

“At Travis Perkins, 38% of the management apprenticeship cohorts identified as female compared to 12% who joined through more ‘traditional’ entry level routes.” CMI Research

Other client organisations, such as healthcare providers, have used the apprenticeship to provide a career pathway for women into higher-status professional roles. For example, the apprenticeship has supported women in care worker roles to progress towards becoming  qualified nurses or allied health professionals, which has increased retention and work satisfaction levels as well as providing personal growth and access to higher earning levels.

If you would like to know more about our apprenticeship portfolio, visit our website or get in touch today.

*Data collected represents 300 learners who completed a senior leader apprenticeship before June 2024