A special report that needs your support
Next week the CIOB is publishing its first Special Report and first detailed report on diversity and inclusion in construction. When I look back at CIOB over the years, it is fair to say that the Institute has examined some of the biggest issues in society and suggested actions that can be taken to address them.
At this point in time, the terms Equality, Diversity and Inclusion have become familiar within the industry but, by any measure, there is still a lot of work yet to do before all of us can say the industry is sufficiently diverse and reflects the society we build for.
What is clear is that improving equality is in everyone’s interest. For organisations in this space it is a matter of survival and we will work with our members, our networks and other professional bodies to play our part in enacting positive change.
I would encourage any of you reading this blog to read our special report, when its published, because it goes a step further than some of our other reports. It includes a Charter that we have developed to be practical and useful, highlighting 5 actions that we can all work towards to make our industry more inclusive.
What we are not doing is pointing a finger but encouraging and supporting, recognising that we are all at different stages of the journey. No single organisation has this cracked, but every one of us, and every business in this sector, can improve.
If one of your ambitions is to help make this industry fairer and more open to others, then I encourage you to sign up to our Charter, to help make a difference, and to promote and share the very best of what you are doing. This is not about seeking perfection - it is about striving for something better. Our Charter sets out a direction of travel and now each of us must plot the course towards a more inclusive industry.
The Special Report and Charter for Diversity and Inclusion in construction will be published on our website on 25 November 2021.