We’re pleased to announce that we’ve won the Inspiring Change in the Community Project Award. Our entry showcased our You Matter: Employment & Education Academy initiative on our Birmingham City Council Alexander Stadium Project.

The Inspiring Change Conference & Awards highlight and reward organisations within construction that have created a more inclusive culture. Open and inclusive workplace cultures in which everyone feels valued and respects colleagues are key to business success. This year’s awards were supported by the Construction Leadership Council, CITB and FIR Programme.

We won the Inspiring Change in the Community Project award for our innovative approach to addressing the employment and skills gap by removing inequalities and barriers in employment and education. Additionally the employment and education programmes improved local labour skills and raised young people’s aspirations from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The judges commended McLaughlin & Harvey in the delivery of the programme with the following comments:

An excellent community initiative centred around the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Which has led to 126 new entrants into the industry including 16 apprentices and 26 long-term unemployed. This was the result of significant efforts by McLaughlin & Harvey and their supply chain to reach out to 38 schools across the local community and engage with over 600 young people*. The judges also commended the company’s decision to pay all the workforce the Birmingham Living Wage and to work with local community groups to engage the “hard to reach” members of the community.

Due to the success of the You Matter Academy, McLaughlin & Harvey are now rolling the initiative out across all our projects to create inclusive employment and learning by removing the barriers to education and employment while supporting skills development.

*The social value statistics represent local employment, training & education only.

We’re delighted to be recognised by the Inspiring Change awards. The win reflects how we as a company strive to create an inclusive culture and remove barriers to education and sustained employment. The successfully delivery of the programme has resulted in McLaughlin & Harvey having a skilled, competent and inclusive workforce.

Shauna Young

Social Value Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey