Last week Building Brum partners Careys launched our brand new roundtable series ‘Construction through Collaboration’ focusing on the construction sector. Careys, a key partner and supporter of the Building Brum series collaborated with Cundall on this event who chaired the discussion.
This was the first in a series of three round table events where the panel debated through the lens of Careys three strategic goals; Great Place to Work, Operational Excellence and Partner of Choice, how these are lived and implemented across Birmingham’s construction projects by contractors, developers, architects, influencers and clients.
During an energetic, passionate and constructive discussion, the panel debated the key topics they believe make Birmingham a Great Place to Work.
This week we are sharing the sound bites from this discussion, where one key theme was ‘inclusion and diversity’ and how do we make Birmingham a great place to work for everyone – no matter what their background is?
Tom Wraight, Careys Regional Director – Midlands, and Simon Raiyne, HBD Development Director, spoke openly about the need to create more opportunities and in turn creating awareness.
Tom Wraight discussed how the industry can look to support and train the homeless and get ex-offenders into employment – into roles where people do not feel the stigma of their past. No matter what a person’s background is, the important thing is where they want to take themselves in the future.
Simon Raiye focussed on raising awareness on the opportunities the construction industry offers to all, specifically those from ethnic minority backgrounds, different social classes and that construction is open to all genders. Simon highlighted the need to go further in making society fully aware of the diverse range of careers the construction industry offers, that there are opportunities available for all, but more importantly the industry needs to take this a step further and create pathways into these roles.
Simon Delahunty-Forrest, Assistant Director Development Planning and Development - Birmingham City Council, spoke openly that with a 30% unemployment rate in Birmingham, the built environment provides a great opportunity to get the unemployed back into work.
Whilst Belinda Morgan, Partner – Cundall, discussed the need to reach out to people who do want to live a better life and providing opportunities for those who want to work, as the construction industry offers such a wide and diverse range of roles and employment opportunities, which makes the sector a great place to work for everyone.
