A Michael Page study revealed that young children in the UK hold gender-stereotyped views when it comes to specific job roles.

1. Are children’s job aspirations defined by gender?
A selection of drawings submitted by 7-11 year olds

2. “While these drawings might seem like a fairly light-hearted
way to examine the topic of gender diversity, they are a
worrying indication that children are still associating certain
job roles with specific genders. This early-age stereotyping
will likely impact the roles, industries and positions they look
at as adults. More needs to be done to encourage diversity
and inclusion in schools and in the adult working world, but it
is certainly our responsibility to lead by example.”
OLIVER WATSON, EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTOR FOR
UK & NORTH AMERICA, PAGEGROUP
Our study revealed that young children in the UK hold
gender-stereotyped views when it comes to specific job
roles. Drawings from over one hundred children aged 7-11
were submitted. Each child was asked to draw a nurse, a
builder, a lawyer and a banker, and also the job they aspire
to when they grow up. Where gender was identifiable, the
drawings showed a clear gender skew for specific roles:
•81% of children drew nurses as female;
•88% of children drew builders as male;
•80% of children drew bankers as male;
•65% of children drew lawyers as male making it the most
gender balanced of the four professions
4 out of 5 children think banking is a man’s job and nursing is
a woman’s
The following slides are a representative sample of the drawings submitted

3. Children’s drawings
of their career
aspirations

4. Career aspirations – Dancer

5. Career aspirations – Alchemist

6. Career aspirations – Computer Programmer

7. Career aspirations – Game Coder

8. Career aspirations – Vet

9. Career aspirations – Vet #2

10. Career aspirations – Vet #3

11. Career aspirations – Teacher

12. Career aspirations – Electrician

13. Career aspirations – Rugby Player

14. Career aspirations – Palaeontologist

15. Career aspirations – Forensic Scientist

16. Career aspirations – Game Tester

17. Career aspirations – YouTuber

18. Career aspirations – Free Runner

19. Career aspirations – President

20. Career aspirations – Astronaut

21. Career aspirations – Explorer

22. Career aspirations – Explorer

23. Children’s drawings
of builders

24. What does a builder look like? #1

25. What does a builder look like? #2

26. What does a builder look like? #3

27. What does a builder look like? #4

28. What does a builder look like? #5

29. Children’s drawings
of nurses

30. What does a nurse look like? #1

31. What does a nurse look like? #2

32. What does a nurse look like? #3

33. What does a nurse look like? #4

34. What does a nurse look like? #5

35. Children’s drawings
of bankers

36. What does a banker look like? #1

37. Children’s drawings
of lawyers

38. What does a lawyer look like? #1

39. What does a lawyer look like? #2

40. What does a lawyer look like? #3

41. What does a lawyer look like? #4