NAWIC is not an organisation of women who resent men.

We thrive in diverse environments and enjoy working as a team in the shaping of our built environment.

NAWIC is not one of those “out of touch” groups

We are an inclusive group with strong networks that welcomes students, trainees, trades and professionals alike.

We don’t work in isolation, we collaborate with groups and associations in initiatives that can benefit our industry.

The members of NAWIC do not sit around complaining or bickering about things that are wrong.

We proactively study areas where there is room for

improvement and develop ideas and tools to can make a difference to both our peers and their environment.

In essence, NAWIC are “just” a network of women working in an industry we feel passionate about and volunteering

to make a difference.

Our work focuses both in supporting the development and retention of talent ed individuals and in attracting the new faces

that will become the future of the industry.

Why? Because our industry cannot afford not tapping into 100 % of

human talent.

For further reading on the benefits of diversity, please refer to the resources section in our website (under resources material) where you will find a document full of references shared with us

by FLUID Diversity Mentoring Programme

The FLUID Diversity Mentoring Programme , an innovative scheme developed by RIBA’s Architects for Change (AfC) committee and the Construction Industry Council , to address the retention and development of talented

practitioners from diverse backgrounds for management and leadership roles in the built environment.

The project has been developed in response to evidence gathered on diversity by the Construction Industry Council (CIC), AfC, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the Government’s Fair Access to the Professions Report, the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Race Discrimination in the

Construction Industry Inquiry Report in addition to other reports.

http://fluidmentoring.org.uk

The problem: "About 400,000 people left the industry since 2008,”

Richard Steer, chairman of Gleeds

With them we lost both their skills and experience.

“Approximately one in five workers are approaching retirement age , and a further 26 percent are between 45 and 55 years old ; replacing these retirees alone presents a big

recruitment challenge. (Smith Institute’s publication titled “Building the future: Women in Construction”)

Who will they share their knowledge with?

Recruiters are struggling to find Quantity surveyors , Civil engineers and Project Management and recent surveys seem to indicate that “ 45% of built environment students were actively considering going into other careers – most notably, banking,

insurance, property management and teaching. “ (Target jobs )

Better pay, flexibility and a clear career path are some of the

most common reasons.

By contrast:

“The demand for an additional 245,000 homes each year has led the CITB to estimate that housing will account for over a third

( 37 percent ) of the UK’s total annual construction output between now and 2018.”

(Smith Institute’s publication titled “Building the future: Women in Construction”)

In London and the South East specifically “ 20% more workers will be required on average to meet pipeline demand in 2014­17 that were needed in 2010­13” and a “ 51% average increase in

training provision will be required to meet demand for construction labour between 2014­17 to plug a gap of over

14,800 trainees” (“Skills to build” LCCI/KPMG Construction Skills Index (London and SE) Nov 14)

Groups where we could find the solution to the problem

Figures show that: “ 737,000 young people aged 16­24 were unemployed in January to March 2015” from which 307,000 were women (Youth unemployment statistics, House of Commons Library, March 2015)

“182,000 construction jobs to be filled by 2018 Yet just 7,280 completed a construction apprenticeship last year.

We have to do better” (No more lost generations, Creating construction jobs for young people,

Cross party enquiry, 2014)

A 2014 inquiry by the Young Women Trust found that despite the evidence ;

“Approximately 2 jobs for each qualified construction worker

5 qualified practitioners for each job in hair and beauty” (Young Women Trust’s “Totally wasted” Inquiry)

Career advice often leans towards industries that are already saturated .

Women , still only make 11% of the construction workforce in the UK and most of the jobs are office based .

(Figures taken from Be on Site website )

Why is our industry not being identified as a source of employment for young people and for women?

We reviewed our own feedback and identified 2 stages where we have an opportunity to permanently engage these audiences

in particular

Attraction Retention

Attraction: As an industry, we are good talking amongst ourselves but not so

much communicating with the wider world.

Changing Perceptions

Access to inside knowledge

Visible role models

Recruitment

Changing Perceptions Our industry has a reputation for being bullish, harsh and dirty .

We should pay attention to what the public have to say and find ways to

rectify preconceptions .

To do: Reconsider the message we send

Emphasise what makes the industry special Acknowledge the team effort

Use images with context in order to tell a story Acknowledge the value of age and experience

Access to inside knowledge There is a lack of understanding of what the Built Environment encompasses and

what the effect that it has in our lives is.

To do: Communicate more clearly the opportunities available within the industry vs

traditional , more expensive, routes Showcase talent in Apprenticeships, Graduate schemes, In­house development

programs etc… Early engagement of talent (schools)

Share our experience

Visible role models

In order to consider joining an industry, it helps been able to identify yourself with those within.

To do : Normalise diversity

Showcase different types of role models. Be inclusive in the way we present our teams and companies

Tell more stories in order to inspire curiosity

Recruitment Unconscious Bias is often cited as the single most important issue to be addressed if

recruiters are to help organisations close the gender gap.

(Guardian 5th September 2013)

To do: Acknowledge the UB

Use inclusive language in job descriptions Create a robust recruitment process

Be objective : Involve more than one person in the process Level the playing field: understand the skills and capabilities on each candidate

Retention

“Women are present in middle and upper management in several construction organisations, unfortunately, the number of women

in leadership positions remains low. “ (What Women Want in a Construction Career, NAWIC)

Flexible working practices

Sense of purpose

Mentoring

Flexible Working Practices Women need a “climbing” frame, not a ladder

Recent JPMorgan report looking into FWP as a tool to raise female employment rates found that “ such an innovation would stand to benefit employers and employees

alike” (Women and flexible working, JP Morgan Chase & co, December 2014)

To do: Embrace diversity, broaden skills

Focus on productivity , not hours

Embrace BIM ’s potential as a flexible working tool for work sharing

Create organised networking opportunities

Sense of purpose (as a catalyst) Social enterprises are far more likely to be led by women than mainstream businesses.”

(Social Enterprise’s “The people’s business” report)

“Research suggests that some female traits and experiences may be behind their choice to become social entrepreneurs”

(The guardian’s article “Why are more women leading social businesses? “)

To do: Promote core values : collaboration, innovation, positive outcome, sustainability

Acknowledge contribution

Encourage long term thinking

Rethink the meaning of “Success”

Mentoring “The absence of role models at the highest level has the psychological effect of

signalling to women that it is impossible to attain such a position”

(Women and flexible working, JP Morgan Chase & co, December 2014)

To do: Real diversity to bring change avoiding tokenism

Empower managers and supervisors to lead on mentoring Encourage & Nurture talent through Business Sponsorship Create opportunities for cross­disciplinary conversations

Nawic initiatives

Attracting

Ask the… Young adults tend to see life in a linear

way Most young people don’t have access to those doing the jobs that interest them The industry is full of inspiring “doers” whose experience is very valuable

They are happy to share their often not so linear journey

The goal of our project is to set a framework in which we can bring everyone together to

allow this conversation to happen.

Schools, Colleges & Educational Projects

Career days Conferences Partnering

Collaborate with educational projects such as Technopop

Student Membership

(Access to : NAWIC’s professional network, career advice, recruitment contacts, industry

insights and online resources)

Retaining

Peer to peer mentoring/support Our members include both those working directly in the industry and those providing

services to the industry.

“Help has been amazing, meeting the team made me feel more positive and all the tips

regarding my CV really helped me to get a job”

“ It is very empowering to be able to talk about the aspirations and difficulties in the

professional life and find an empathetic audience”

Site visits

They are a great way to reconnect with the core values of the industry and an opportunity to remind ourselves of the impact that our work

has on the wider society.

To those working at the front end of projects, this is a great chance to acknowledge the

value of their contribution

To the rest, they are a great opportunity to network , stay current and share best practice.

CPD

Environmental academy Led by NAWIC’s Sustainability champion

focuses on best practice

Working Sessions Mini conferences around relevant topics

followed by an open debate in the search of implementable actions

Annual conference An opportunity for all regions to share best practice and speak to industry leaders

Final thoughts Remember

“We systematically overestimate the value of access to information and underestimate the value of access to each other” Clay Shirky

Upcoming Annual Conference (London)

12th November Keep and eye www.nawic.co.uk

Our Bios

Follow Cristina @burutapen Follow Anna @anna_nasalska

Useful Links

NAWIC UK & Ireland Linkedin Group

http://uk.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3915967

Twitter Feed

@nawicuk ( https://twitter.com/nawicuk )

Monday paper

http://paper.li/~/publisher/b0011e5c­88f0­437c­b342­991eedaed3cd#!created

Ask the

https://www.nawic.co.uk/index.php/resources/reference­material/188­ask­the