A footballer! I want to be like David Beckham! No, a lawyer like my Uncle Frazer, because he drives a Porsche! No, wait, maybe an astronaut, or a games designer, or a racing driver . . .
Ask Davey Junior what he really, really wants to be when he grows up and there will be no shortage of aspirational roles: it’s unlikely, however, that a job ‘working in a caring profession’ will make it on to his top ten.
While medicine might figure briefly in his career plans – if he knuckles down and gets the grades, he could be like one of those cool doctor guys from ER –the chances are the care sector won’t even ping on his radar.
And that’s a pity. The truth is, the Social Care sector has always struggled to attract men to join what has been a traditionally female-dominated workforce.
Blokes might be attracted to managerial roles but not the up close and personal jobs. After all, even in this day and age, how many of us still do a double take when we see a male Carer, Nurse, or a male Midwife?
And the surprise is not limited to health settings either – the male Childminder or Nanny is also a lesser-spotted species.
The lack of men in front-line care services recently prompted Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, to call on the UK government to do more to recruit men into full-time adult Social Care roles.
The Professor opined that many men would prefer to have a male carer attending to their personal needs – and, as an increasing number of men are living longer, he stressed the need for more males in the sector was increasing daily.
Here in Scotland negative misconceptions surrounding care work, such as pay and conditions, may be partly to blame for the faltering take-up of positions.
There also exists our steadfast gender stereotyping, of course!
Many men, however, may simply not know enough about fantastic careers waiting for them in caring.
Professor Green reckons all of this could be remedied by encouraging schools to redress the gender balance at careers advice sessions and by persuading more employers to reach out to men when recruiting.
Indeed, getting more chaps into early education would be a boon not only for them but for their young charges – research shows that children really do benefit from having male staff in childcare settings.
It’s true that not every nursery or school needs a Bear Grylls showing our little ones how to climb trees and make dens in the woods, but few can argue against having a strong male role model in a child’s early years.
Thankfully, organisations such as Men In Childcare (MIC) have been trying to change this in Scotland by offering childcare training for men only.
Since 2001 it has helped train no fewer than 1600 blokes of all ages and from all walks of life – many of whom had never worked in childcare and the vast majority thinking they never could.
Just last month three new MIC-accredited evening courses kicked off in Coatbridge, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
For those without training, many employers offer learning in the workplace, with the opportunity to gain formal qualifications later.
For most, however, it’s more about the personal qualities – passion, patience and commitment.
We should always remember, too, that in the care sector age isn’t a barrier, with many employers seeking out both young people, with energy and enthusiasm, and older workers – those who maybe fancy a midlife career change – for their priceless life skills.
A rewarding career in the care world really is open to everyone.
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