WOMEN and girls are being held back because the Scottish government’s flagship Modern Apprenticeships programme is increasingly being gender segregated, Labour warned yesterday.

Research from Scottish Labour has revealed that last year, in almost half (23 out of 50) of apprentice roles, fewer than 25 per cent of workers were women. In 14 of these roles the proportion of women has fallen or stayed the same.

The research also found that last year, in six of 50 apprentice roles, fewer than 25 per cent of workers were men.