Building Brum Construction Partners Careys share their vision to be the most trusted and socially responsible construction company, that people are proud to work with.

At Careys our ethos and values are not just about helping to shape and define the skyline and landscapes of the towns and cities in which we work, but to live by our Vison to be the most trusted and socially responsible construction company, that people are proud to work with.

Becoming this company includes social value and how we contribute to this – looking at what we can help bring to a local area through a range of schemes and initiatives.  These include jobs for a local workforce and working with disadvantaged groups to provide them with employment opportunities, providing training and upskilling initiatives, working with the local supply chain and encouraging our employees to volunteer to improve local infrastructure and facilities through a series of community engagement programmes.

One such social value initiative that we are proud to have been involved in recently is working with Iman Khan, who retrained for a career in construction, starting her first job on a construction site in Perry Barr with Careys, though the Employment initative created by the West Midlands Combined Authority. 

This is Iman’s story:

“I’d always wanted a career in construction, or to be involved in construction in some way, but there had never been an opportunity to do so as it had traditionally been such a male dominated industry.  Because of this my career initially followed a very different direction and I worked in several different roles - a million miles away from construction – working in a bar, doing care work and being a full-time mum.  One day I came home from work and my mum handed me a leaflet for a construction training course and I signed up!

The training course lasted for three months and was a mixture of classroom-based learning and site-based training covering a wide variety of subjects including asbestos awareness, health and safety, manual handling, using a Cat and Genny and learning how to drive articulated dumper trucks and rollers, as well as allowing me to re-sit my maths qualifications.

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“I found it really hard to get a job on a construction site, then I got my break when Careys offered me work experience on a site in Perry Bar through the Employment imitative created by the West Midlands Combined Authority.  I was taken on as a dumper driver and the team there ‘allowed me to fly’ as in-between working my shifts as a dumper driver the team got me involved in helping out with the groundworks, then with the infrastructure and then driving rollers.

Iman. Careys

When my work experience was over the team put in a good word and I was taken on by Careys on a full-time contact doing the same jobs and roles as what I’d been doing previously which was amazing for me, especially as I was kept with the same gang who really helped me with my on the job learning and development.

During lockdown I continued my training with a Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), an additional Cat and Genny course on Working Next to Water, as well as training to be a banksperson and traffic marshal.

I’m really grateful for the opportunity that Careys gave me – making me feel welcome and not treating me any differently - to not only put into place the skills that I learnt during my retraining but to be able to fulfil a childhood dream of working in construction.  I feel proud of being a woman in the construction industry and breaking down barriers and stereotypes, but most importantly for being an inspiration for my daughter and making her proud, as she too wants to work in construction.

Further down the line I’d like to become a supervisor, now that I’ve passed my SSSTS training, and be involved in raising awareness around mental health, becoming a mental health first aider.  One day I’d love a role in project management, but at the moment I’m really enjoying what I’m doing on site and would recommend to anyone out there who is considering re-training to have the confidence in yourself, take the decision and go for it, rather than sit back and wait for the opportunity to come to you!”

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