Some of the employers contributing to this resource from the construction and tech sector recognised the importance of seeking to engage stakeholders internally and externally.
- Employers reach out to staff through surveys, working and affinity groups, regular ED&I communication, training and education.
- ED&I behaviours are normally aligned with organisational values. It is much less likely for organisations to create levels of accountability for ED&I in terms of creating an inclusive team environment or to recruit in a diverse way.
- Externally, employers often work with schools at an early stage and are moving from the traditional interventions at university level to working with schools from primary level upwards; recognising that future growth and success will depend upon how the next generation know and feel about their sector and the opportunities on offer. This chimes with research that indicates young people are making decisions about career choices at a much earlier age. Research by Stace published 2022
- Both sectors and their industry bodies understand the need to ‘attract’ the Generation Z workforce and need to overcome the lack of knowledge young people have of the jobs available.
- There are negative perceptions around construction jobs being low skilled, low paid, White male, and perceptions around tech jobs consisting of ‘unicorns’, ‘White boys and not girls’.