With women losing their jobs twice as fast as men in the recession, a training firm is urging employers to do more to boost female skills.

Recent Government reports show that many more women are suffering from redundancy in the current recession then men.

Official statistics showed the number of unemployed men in the three months to November 2008 rose by 87,000 to 1.15 million. In the same period, the number of women out of work rose by 44,000 to 775,000.

In Medway, the number of women out of work and claiming benefit went up by 70 to 1,271. Across the rest of Kent, it rose by 394 to 5,118.

There are fears that some women are being victimised because employers want to avoid costs such as maternity leave and new flexible working rights.

The Government has promised an inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into sex discrimination in the finance sector; new training for women to help them compete for jobs; and monitor companies to check whether women are being unfairly targeted.

Vue Recruitment & Training, based in Birling, has urged employers to ensure that female staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge "fundamental to their current roles and future development."

Vanessa Jarrett, managing director, said: "For more than a century, women have campaigned for equality and during the last century have certainly achieved a great deal towards reaching this goal.

"However, it is still clear that women are not treated as equals and new evidence of this can be seen in recent Government reports and statistics. I am astounded by the number of women who still have no formal qualifications or training for their years in employment.

"Many employers view training and development as a waste of resources if someone can perform the job and thus are able to pay lower salaries.

"This leads women without proof of competency when they are faced with redundancy and now that employers can have the pick of the crop, those with no qualifications are left behind."

She said Vue would be assisting local businesses to fulfil their obligations to female employees and offering consultations to ensure women are given sound advice.

This will cover training needs, CVs and job applications, interview skills and help them prepare for a new job opportunity.