The Individual Advancement programme encourages parents considering a return to the labour market to explore traditional attitudes to gender. In order to engage women and encourage pursuit of   non-traditional careers, it is necessary to lay some important foundations.

The Personal Development programme being offered through the Children’s Centre Subgroup encourages participants to think outside their comfort zones, assessing how interaction with others influences behaviour. Participants are encouraged to discuss non-traditional gender roles and whether they feel it would be possible for them to pursue such a career path.

The project aims to help learners identify their achievements through defining success, and through interactive discussion and group work to recognise limits on their potential. Participants will have the opportunity to challenge their preconceptions and learn to control how they think and feel without previous experiences and memories inhibiting them.   

Two intensive sessions were held for staff from participating centres, with the aim of enabling them to promote the courses to parents in their own centres. By delivering the courses jointly with trainer Chris Vaughan, Children’s Centre staff are able to develop the skills which equip them to repeat the course within their centres, promoting sustainability after the life of Agender. 

Six courses for parents have so far been delivered across Birmingham and Solihull and these were facilitated by Agender’s lead partner, Birmingham Settlement. Centres benefiting were Lakeside, Kingshurst, Ward End, Washwood Heath, Shenley Fields and the Keystone Centre in Welshouse Farm. Participants were recruited through the centres, and each course lasted six weeks, with a weekly three hour session designed to meet participant’s childcare needs and encourage their continued participation. Feedback from parents has been excellent, with participants reporting increased confidence and self-esteem as well as an increased awareness of possible non-traditional career paths. There will be two more courses run before the end of September, in Aston, and Saltley.