Content
Boardroom diversity: the value of dissenting voices
23 MAR 2021 | BY MARGOCOLE
It is well established that companies with diverse leadership teams generate higher returns, and that the construction industry has a long way to go on this front. Margo Cole explores the potential for diversity to boost your business
Agents of change: the role of men in improving diversity
22 OCT 2020 | By David Price
Construction News recently gathered a panel as part of our Inspiring Women in Construction initiative to discuss the role that men need to play if the industry is going to improve its diversity and really progress
Inspiring Women: give the boardroom a boost with diversity of thought
17 Jul 2020 | By CN Staff
Staged as part of our Inspiring Women in Construction programme, the webinar assessed the value of diversity of thought at board level and in other senior leadership positions. A panel of highly experienced women from across the industry tackled a variety of questions posed by a live audience. You can watch a recording of the virtual event below.
We could accelerate the changes we want’ – BRE chief hopes for coronavirus catapult effect
23 JUN 2020 | BY Lem Bingley
The advice to never let a crisis go to waste, widely attributed to Winston Churchill, has often been cited during the coronavirus pandemic, typically by those hoping some good might emerge from a time of such great distress. Gillian Charlesworth, chief executive of building research and standards organisation BRE, tells Lem Bingley why she counts among those optimists.
Lockdown gains: how the pandemic has helped women excel
29 Sep 2020 | By Megan Kelly
‘Culture, careers and recruitment’ are key, and enable women to climb the construction industry ladder. As many firms encourage women to join their businesses, CN’s webinar asks how do we continue to do this in a pandemic which seems to be making regular routines a thing of the past?
Forget the Karate Kid: the promise of modern mentoring
09 Jun 2020 | By CN Staff
How can construction companies and the individuals within them benefit from the promise of mentoring? That was the topic tackled recently by a live Construction News webinar, which looked at the potential for mentoring in our sector.
Staged as part of our Inspiring Women in Construction programme, the online debate also shone a particular light on how mentoring might help women make career progress, as well as the contribution mentoring programmes can make to the industry’s lack of diversity.
Diversity is opportunity
15 Nov 2019 | By Sarah Fenton
The challenges facing the construction industry will be familiar to regular readers of Construction News; these include an ageing workforce, a shortage of trained and skilled workers, and potential migration restrictions.
CITB estimates that 168,500 new workers need to be employed over the next five years to meet growing demand.
Men in agreement must seek a new view
22 Oct 2019 | By Lem Bingley
Construction News hosted the latest face-to-face event in its Inspire Me programme, which aims to help women in construction make career progress into the highest levels of management. Chairing the half-day conference in Birmingham, I was acutely aware that I fell outside the target demographic. But I am at least keen to be part of the solution rather than the problem.
Being an agent for change
10 Oct 2019 | By John Boughton
Our industry has come a long way since I first joined as a young building technician in 1993. Back then terms such as ‘diversity’ or ‘gender balanced teams’ did not figure much on construction sites or in management vocabulary.
How far we have come! Fast forward 26 years and it really does feel like a different world. Change is happening at a quick rate as we all recognise that achieving gender parity will make us a better, more sustainable industry for our people and customers.
Why ‘men only’ industries can no longer ignore the gender gap
18 Apr 2019 | By Contributor
As powerful investors begin to shun firms with workforce gender imbalances, putting pressure on chairman to demonstrate greater accountability, traditionally male-dominated industries are having to react to sweeping calls for change. Josie Cox explores what construction can learn from the cultural sea-change washing through other corporate sectors.
Breaking the glass ceiling: How we get more women to the top
27 Aug 2018 | By Lucy Alderson
Following The first two Inspire Me workshops, Construction News has produced an in-depth report on the findings. With analysis on why there is a lack of women at the top, the work being done by firms to tackle the imbalance, and what more the industry needs to do, the report also examines the gender diversity of the boards of the top 20 contractors.
Shatter the myths to bring women into construction
09 Jul 2018 | By Owen Goodhead
Our Women in Construction report surveyed more than 5,500 workers across the construction, property and engineering industries, and the results were reflective of a sector where just 12 per cent are women.
Inspired in Manchester
13 Jun 2018 | By Lucy Alderson
This morning CN took its Inspire Me campaign up to Manchester – the first event we’ve put on outside of London for nearly a decade (with many more planned).
Today was the second of four workshops we are putting on across the country this year to help women advance their careers and to get more females into senior leadership roles in the industry.
We are not a failures club – so let's prove it
05 Jun 2018 | By Anjali Pindoria
Construction’: what are the public’s first thoughts when they hear that word?
Initial perceptions are generally that of muddy, low-paid manual labour, without any ambitions or aspirations. More recently, this has contributed to create a picture of the industry as something of a ‘failures club’.
But from what I can see as a female subcontractor, we are an important and unique sector, yet our talents are underrated and underappreciated. Nearly everything that surrounds the built environment depends on us, yet there is little appreciation for the individuals who power the industry.
Calling all men: Do women have an ally in you?
01 Mar 2018 | By Binyamin Ali
London’s Sofitel Hotel played host this morning to the first workshop for CN’s Inspire Me campaign, which aims to encourage and support women into industry leadership roles.
It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout, particularly in the face of wretched weather conditions.
Inspire Me: CN campaign launches in London
21 Feb 2018 | By Lucy Alderson
Something very unusual happened yesterday evening at the launch party of Construction News’ Inspire Me campaign.
It wasn’t a typical construction event, where you would usually see a sea of suits and ties when scanning the room of guests. After all, men account for roughly 87 per cent of the industry.
Wilmott Dixon statement
| By Rick Willmott
We know our industry is facing up to a skills shortage. It is a crisis that has been relevant for the last five years.
But the impending prospect of Brexit, the improving economic fortunes of our European neighbours, the ageing profile of our skilled trades and the industry’s lack of diversity are building up to a perfect storm.