By Jess McCabe | 13 July 2005, 15:40

Girls in Wales are loosing out on better-paid careers, because schools are channelling them into jobs traditionally dominated by women, the Equal Opportunities Commission said today.

A BBC report today reveals that Wales is worse than the rest of the UK when it comes to occupational segregation.

Three quarters of Welsh women work in low paid jobs that conform to gender expectations - such as cleaning, caring, catering and admin.

The EOC is calling for all school children to be given the option of work experience in non-traditional jobs for their gender.

Neil Wooding, EOC Commissioner for Wales, said: “Our research shows young people are unable to make genuine career choices and employers are unable to take best advantage of the talent available.”

The Beeb quotes Julia Zeal, a 32 year old Welsh woman who is now retraining as a plumber: “When I left school, going into construction wasn’t an option. I think probably it was something I would have liked to have done. A lot stems from careers teachers, they’re the people who need to get their act together and give better advice about what the options are.”