In October, members of the National Construction Industry Forum met for the first time to explore the challenges facing the building and construction industry. Diversity and long-term financial sustainability were the two biggest.
The Forum, chaired by federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke, agreed to establish a subcommittee to explore solutions to improve the recruitment and retention of women workers.
The Cost of Doing Nothing Report, commissioned by the Culture in Construction Taskforce, found the lack of diversity, together with other cultural issues, costs the Australian economy nearly $8 billion a year.
But the good news is clear. The Diversity Council of Australia has found that workers in inclusive teams are 10 times more likely to be innovative and 11 times more likely to be effective.
“Consult Australia members have had diversity and inclusion in their line of sight for several years and have made great progress,” says Linda Gaunt, Consult Australia’s Head of Engagement.
The Consult Australia Champions of Change Group, established in 2016, now comprises 11 CEOs who lead 20,000-plus employees. These leaders are focused on creating safe, respectful and inclusive cultures, removing structural inequities, and designing systems and workplaces for a gender-equal future.
The recently launched 2023 Champions of Change Impact Report demonstrates the leadership of the Consult Australia Group and the progress achieved across recruitment, succession planning and reporting on sexual harassment over these last 12 months, Linda says.
“This is an industry-wide challenge, and we need every pocket of the industry to step up from those larger firms represented through our Champions of Change Program right through to our smaller and medium-sized companies.
“With the support of the NSW Government Women in Construction Program we are developing a specific program on breaking barriers and building diversity that targets those firms not represented through our Champions of Change Program.
“We know these smaller member firms will benefit from tools, guidance and resources to support diversity, equity and inclusion across their businesses. Our members have told us there are specific needs and gaps in the market that we are best placed to address – and we are responding.”
The program aligns with several key developments this year, including increasing reporting requirements for firms with more than 100 full time employees through the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, and the new Positive Duty of Care legislation.
The first pilot training with 11 “hand-picked” senior industry practitioners was held in November.
“This allowed us to test our training and to seek further feedback. Universally positive feedback reinforces the importance of this program and the benefit of industry coming together to share experiences, understand the business case for change and strategically lead and support diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The program will open to members with a second pilot before multiple dates are scheduled for 2024. This will be supported by an online knowledge hub and resource centre.
“To ensure your business realises the benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion, and to prepare for the future of reporting, now is the time to get involved.”