City of London Corporation. Employment Charter for Construction

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1 employment charter for construction Employment Charter for Construction

2 2 Introducing the Employment Charter for Construction employment charter for construction At the City of London Corporation, as the body providing local government services to the Square Mile, our primary role is to support and enhance the business City the heart of the world s international financial and related business services sector. The City s built environment is a defining feature of its internationally recognised status. It comprises world class buildings from all ages and continues to showcase developments at the cutting edge of design and innovation. However the City also shares its borders with some of the country s most deprived boroughs, where low skill levels and unemployment remain high. We are highly committed to working with our partners in the private and public sectors to achieve the objectives of the City s Community Strategy. A key objective is to raise the skills levels and maximise the employment opportunities of residents in the City and the City fringes 1. Specifically, our aim is to maximise Jobs for local residents who already have skills to the level required by employers Jobs for local residents with relevant skills on completion of training courses Jobs for local people from groups currently under-represented in the construction industry, including female, black or minority ethnic residents, the disabled and those with other barriers to employment Training and on-site experience to enable local residents to complete relevant training courses and gain employment Routes into training for young people wishing to enter the construction industry Employment links with potential future employers regularly active in the Square Mile Career aspirations of local school children with a view to helping them enter the construction industry 1 The City fringe boroughs include the London boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and the City of Westminster and (for the purposes of this Charter) Newham.

3 The Charter in action 3 The is designed to operate through the creation of project specific partnerships with developers and their main contractors, bringing in a network of experienced practitioners funding bodies, sector skills councils, colleges, training providers and job brokers as required. What we ask of you as a developer or contractor by way of engagement with the Charter is entirely dependent on the size, capacity and duration of the development project. Wherever possible we would prefer to begin discussions with you as early in the development process as possible. This helps to get the right people involved from the outset and to keep them involved. Naturally, early discussion aids planning for social inclusion activity and, importantly, enables any costs to be understood and, if possible, mitigated well in advance. For examples of activities undertaken please see the case studies overleaf. Over year old school and college pupils engaged in work related learning opportunities

4 responsible business is just good business (Business in the Community - The Value of Corporate Governance: the positive return of responsible business 2008). 4 employment charter for construction What s in the Charter for you? Local recruitment (please see pg. 2 for our definition of local) can locate and recruit the skills you need often at reduced cost or no cost at all. Local recruitment allied to a programme of community engagement (.e.g. school and college visits to site) often produces invisible benefits like increased identification with, and goodwill towards, your company. In short, local recruitment makes a difference; to you, the communities neighbouring your development and the individuals living in those communities. The same is true of local procurement. Every pound spent on sourcing goods and services from local small and medium enterprises has impact, strengthening your business links to the area and its population, enhancing your reputation and making a contribution to the track record of social inclusion activity which will help you to win new contracts in the future. Managing and measuring the environmental and social impact of your business helps to proof your business against the risk of adverse publicity and attendant stock price volatility. And, not least, research has shown that employees prefer to work for companies where strong Corporate Social Responsibility/social inclusion strategies are embedded in the business model. It s the sense of sustained integrity that attracts. We all want to take pride in the reputation of the business that employs us.

5 Case Study Bishopsgate and The Broadgate Tower British Land and Bovis Lend Lease 5 The initial partnership was formed around the 201 Bishopsgate project. With the endorsement of developers, British Land, main contractors Bovis Lend Lease (BLL) were happy to partner with the Charter which shared many of the aims of BLL s not-for-profit training and recruitment company, BeOnsite. Working closely with colleagues from organisations including Construction Skills, Jobcentre Plus, training providers and other City fringe local authorities, the partnership achieved an average 18% local recruitment against a 10% target across the three year build. At peak a full quarter (25%) of employees on the site had been recruited locally and 6m was spent on goods and services from local suppliers. The City of London s Employment Charter for Construction has been an important ally since its inception. Partnering on a range of projects we have succeeded in establishing the business case for community engagement in general and, in particular, for increased levels of local recruitment and training. Val Lowman CEO BeOnsite Over 300 City and City fringe adults engaged in work related learning opportunities. Since the completion of 201 Bishopsgate the Charter and BeOnsite have collaborated on many Bovis Lend Lease developments in the City including Rothschild s New Court and Land Securities One New Change.

6 Case study 2 6 employment charter for construction Riverbank House Pace Investments and Sir Robert McAlpine The Charter s link with the Pace Investments developed Riverbank House has centred on a unique extended relationship with the St Aloysius College in Islington. In an arrangement brokered through the Charter, the same group of students each of whom is set on a career in construction have made quarterly visits to the development over two years and have witnessed first-hand the various stages in the construction process. For this group of young people the insight gained into the life of an active development, the importance of Health and Safety, the phased nature of the building process and the range of roles and responsibilities, all augmented by the expert advice and guidance of long experienced construction professionals, has been invaluable. Sir Robert McAlpine, as a company, makes a point of connecting with the areas in which we conduct our business. When we re in the Square Mile the Employment Charter for Construction helps us to achieve that connection. The link with St Aloysius has been doubly rewarding. First, in helping and encouraging the construction workforce of the future and, secondly, through getting involved with these visits our people discover and develop their own skills and abilities. Bruce Nixon Sir Robert McAlpine

7 Case study 3 8build 7 Convinced that community engagement activity is an investment, 8build, specialising in fit-out, have placed it at the heart of their business model. Prior to engagement with the Charter to provide a long-term, paid work placement for a returnee to the labour market, they had already amassed over 1,500 volunteering hours to community projects in east London; forged an ongoing link with Inspire! Hackney s Education Business Partnership which enables pupils on the Construction and Built Environment Diploma course to visit their sites in the City; and provided work experience places for Hackney year 10 pupils. The decision to support the Charter was not a difficult one to make. Alongside the moral stance, a business s contribution to being socially responsible is something that can help you attract the best staff and win business. Kelly Hudson Marketing Director, 8build Over 10 million spent in City fringe boroughs procuring goods and services from local businesses Since forming in build have recorded a swift rise to occupy a top spot in the list of London s fit-out companies. Clearly, this is reward for hard work but also for an overt commitment to local employment and training; a commitment officially recognised by the City of London when, in 2009, 8build scooped the Lord Mayor s Dragon Award in the Heart of the City category.

8 The beginning. Clearly we are keen to build a bespoke partnership (each one is different) with you in the strong belief that by working together we can, indeed, make a difference that benefits your business, your employees and supply chain, local communities and the people who live or do business in them. Mace Sustain, with a seven year history of helping local residents gain sustainable employment with the Macegroup supply chain, fully supports the. The Charter promotes the use of local labour, supports local sub-contractors and provides an efficient, cost effective recruitment strategy. Gez Carr Mace Sustain To learn more or to start the discussion, please contact The Partnerships Team at the City of London Corporation: Tel partnerships@cityoflondon.gov.uk Or visit the City of London website at City and City fringe residents assisted into sustainable employment