Four industry initiatives laying the groundwork for a more diverse industry are now working together in an attempt to boost their impact.
The CIC’s Diversity Panel, the UK Contractors Task Group on diversity, and representatives of the CITB’s BeFair initiative met earlier this week at a meeting sponsored by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
BIS is keen to support the collaboration as it links to the implementation of the industrial strategy, Construction 2025, where diversity is seen as key to its priorites on improving the image of the industry and workforce capability.
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It is also understood that the Construction Leadership Council hopes to align the industry’s separate strategies on boosting the number of construction professionals who are female, black or minority ethnic, or LGBT.
A report on progress could be presented to the CLC at its next meeting. The CLC was due to meet this week, but this has been postponed until November.
The four groups are hoping to collaborate in order to tackle more projects, and take a unified approach rather than risking duplication and confusion. “The idea is to get a whole-industry approach, rather than a lot of small initiatives,” CM was told.
The UKCG’s Diversity Task Group was set up following the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s critical July 2009 report into construction employment. It undertook to research and monitor diversity among UKCG members, and conducts an annual workforce survey.
According to the CIC’s website, its diversity panel is working to:
- prepare a strategy to influence and engage with industry leaders to bring about a cultural change in attitudes to diversity, fairness and respect;
- develop a media plan to showcase positive images of construction as a means of attracting a diverse workforce to improve the industry’s image and reputation;
- define what diversity means in practice and develop a model/guide with training programme for the workforce;
- attract and retain young people as the future leaders of our industry open up career paths and provide ladders of opportunity.
