Painting and decorating: not just a man’s job

Painting and decorating used to be considered a man’s job. But in some cantons, there are now more women finishing apprenticeships in the profession than men.

In central Switzerland, for example, women make up 62% of apprenticeship graduates in painting and decorating. They are not just working as house painters; some also have jobs on building sites.

Those in the field say that one reason for the rise is that young women get better school results and decide independently that painting is their dream job. Young men might however see it as a fall-back when other apprenticeship options don’t work out.

Women are increasingly making inroads into traditional “male jobs” in Switzerland, but professional stereotypes for both genders remain hard to eradicate. In fact, overall in Switzerland, men still remain in the majority in painting and decorating.

But experts warn that increased numbers of women coming into sector means that it will have to become more family-friendly in the future.

(SRF/swissinfo.ch)