Equal Opportunities and Vocational Training: Qualifications and Educational Needs of Co-working Spouses of Owners of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises : StudyA study examined the training needs of women working in moderate-sized enterprises owned by their husbands. Information collected from interviews with spouses of business owners in Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and Italy confirmed the original hypothesis that in the kind of enterprise studied it is the man who owns the business and the wife who assumes various duties without having the necessary training. In Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, and France special educational opportunities, consisting mainly of courses in administrative functions, were available for the co-working spouse. Although actual statistical data were not available, the consensus among the co-working spouses interviewed was that they do not avail themselves of existing educational opportunities to a satisfactory extent. Reasons cited for failure to participate in available educational programming included lack of time, distance to school or college, time and form of courses, price, course content, and attitudes toward education. The general picture concerning the role of the children in these enterprises was that they do not wish to follow in their parents' footsteps. (Appended to this report is a discussion of the treatment within the European community of the educational situation of co-working wives of business owners in rural communities.) (MN) |
Common terms and phrases
40 hours accounts activities administrative attendance attitude average work hours baker's wife Belgium book-keeping building and construction CEDEFOP Centre CEPFAR seminar chairman of ACTIF Chamber of Trades Chambre des Métiers CMBV co-working spouses co-working wives committee on women's complementary education comprises concerning Confederazione courses in management Dansk Håndværks Kvinder Denmark Educational material educational needs equal opportunities European Community European Parliament European Social Fund extent family enterprise Federal Republic five countries France further education giving the co-working Hasselt Haute-Garonne husband importance Instituut voor voortdurende Italy Karin Riis-Jørgensen Koblenz Kortrijk lack Luxembourg medium sized enterprises Meisterprüfung middenstand needs of co-working occupational situation participate in further position of women problems profits relevant education Republic of Germany residential courses retail trades running scheme for temporary service trades small and medium social spouses of owners spouses participate stressed Teknologisk Institut Tél Telex temporary assistance trade organizations trades and crafts voortdurende vorming wife's