Improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a challenge for all sectors. In the instance of the construction industry, this is certainly the case. Women make up about 14% of the construction population, but only 2% of site operatives are female. In Europe, the United Kingdom has the smallest proportion of female engineers.

Only 5% of registered engineers and technicians are women, and only 11% of the engineering workforce is female. At the current pace, researchers predict that achieving gender equality would take nearly 200 years.

According to the Construction Industry Training Board, the industry average for ethnic diversity is about 13% (CITB). Furthermore, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Force Survey states in the fourth quarter of the previous year that just 5.4% of construction workers were from ethnic minority backgrounds. 9.3% of construction workers have a disability or neurodiversity, and a third of LGBTQIA+ workers feel that their sexual orientation is a barrier to career progression in the industry.

According to Sir Robert McAlpine-funded research into flexible working, 66% of construction companies intend to keep home workers after the coronavirus pandemic.

This event will address the most pressing issues for construction professionals in the workplace that promote a healthier work environment that drives inclusion and enhances work-life balances for its workers in the post-pandemic era.