We’ve not made a secret that we believe everybody should feel welcome and secure in their place of work. At Sock and Buskin, we work with our clients to make sure that the right message is being sent and will always do our part to push for equality, diversity and inclusion.
In 2022, our founder Laura worked on developing and running an event in honour of Black History Month. After approaching the appropriate people to run the event with her, five companies rallied together to fund a day of education and a call to action for the construction industry.
Currently, only 3.5% of workers within construction are black. This is one of the lowest employment rates of black people within the UK. The “Time For Change: Actions Not Words” event encouraged attendees to keep moving forward and all be part of change. It highlighted that it can no longer be left to those immediately affected to deal with the issue of race in the workplace. It also demonstrated that, whilst everybody’s voices need to be heard, there is also a requirement for everybody to be willing to listen.
New entrants to the sector, those who have been working in construction for a while and leaders within the industry came together to show that they are willing to help create change that will last for years to come. The aim was to communicate openly so that we could collaboratively create a safe space for the next generation of worker to enter.
This event was the first time that companies came together in person and without agenda, simply to talk about the issue of race within the industry. People took time to listen, understand and implement change. The day was successful and impactful, and we hope to see continued change for both young and old, redefining what the construction industry sees as the norm and building a pathway for others to follow in our footsteps.
