VGC has received a special commendation award for supporting Women into Construction.
The award citation reads: “Your excellent contribution has directly resulted in increased participation of women in the construction industry”.
VGC has been a key supporter of Women into Construction (WiC) for the past four years.
Speakers
The celebration on 26 September 2019 was held at Carpenters Hall in Moorgate. The event was opened by Kath Moore MBE, who described some of WiC’s achievements during the past year.
Other speakers were:
- Julie Thornton – Tideway
- Kate Myers – HS2
- Sarah Beale – CITB
- Tom Hill (of Hill Group) launched the new Cambridge Women In Construction programme led by the Home Builders Federation.
- Shelley Caton (BAM Nuttall) talked about the launch of the new two-year Moving On Up programme.
- Michaela and Jamillah, who have benefited from its support, spoke about how WiC has impacted on their lives.
Awards
As well as VGC’s award for supporting Women into Construction,
- Bouygues won a Most Engaged Contractor award
- Shazad Ahmend of Bouygues was presented with Most Engaged Individual
- Tideway London was named Most Engaged Client.
Women into Construction works with contractors, clients and partners to increase gender diversity in the industry. Since its inception, the not-for-profit organisation has supported more than 2,000 women with advice on careers in the construction industry. An independent social return on investment study found that every £1 invested in the work of WiC generates £6 worth of social value.
VGC supporting women
VGC is actively trying to increase female participation within the construction workforce. Our initiatives include an active fairness, inclusion and respect (FIR) programme. We continue to deliver our corporate social responsibility strategy to attract new recruits to the industry and support our existing workforce. Our new behavioural competency framework ensures recruitment and promotion decisions are made on transferable skills and potential, rather than qualifications and prior experience. This will ensure women are not disadvantaged.
We are also working on a digital transformation strategy to enable more flexible working opportunities, among other benefits.
Recently our group services director, Ciara Pryce, was invited to take part in a webinar for the Government Equalities Office on the challenges that the construction industry, in particular, faces around gender pay.
Read more about VGC’s corporate social responsibility programme.
