The Construction Inclusion Coalition (CIC) is pointing to the successes of its Elevate Women network and fledgling mentorship programme as an indication that peer-to-peer collaboration holds the key to creating more inclusive workplaces and improving employee retention within construction.

The CIC aims to not only address the imbalance of gender positions and the low percentage of minority groups within the industry, but to also nurture the talent through positive change and help turn the industry’s skills shortage around.

Its second annual impact report Building a Better Legacy highlights how within one year the Elevate Women network has doubled in size to 140 members, representing 29 different construction businesses. The growing network is based on a regular programme of in-person workshops or hosted webinars to discuss and devise strategies on key workplace issues, such as Handling Unacceptable Behaviour in the Workplace.

In addition, 15 women are currently working with mentors from across 14 businesses in a pilot of a cross company mentoring scheme designed to develop the leadership skills of women working in construction.

A second Benchmarking Survey of current CIC members, presented in Building a Better Legacy underlines that: 

  • Many coalition members and partners are moving into the advanced stages of implementing long-lasting EDI policy.
  • 60% of respondents report that they are actively working towards creating a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect, and can demonstrate that with substantiated data. This is up from 40% in 2024.
  • 52% of members and partners now annually assess their working culture through employee wellbeing and engagement surveys vs 35% in 2024.

Angela Rushforth, Chair of the Construction Inclusion Coalition, commented: “Despite economic headwinds over the past 12 months the coalition has grown, is enjoying more engagement, and our level of activity is picking up the pace. 

"No matter how the work environment can change, a fundamental truth will remain – people want to work in places where they feel they belong.

“Our coalition members are opening their doors, welcoming people in and looking to build a better industry through peer-to-peer collaboration, networking and sharing resources. We now have a coalition that is a hub of vital resources, the host of wide range of events and the source of some thriving initiatives that can help employees searching for more inclusion to find their voice.”

During the course of 2025, coalition membership numbers have held firm during what has been a turbulent time for the construction industry, with companies including Norcros Group, Etex, Volution Group, Mira Showers and Specialist Driver Resourcing joining the CIC.

The coalition now boasts 39 member companies and trade organisations across building materials manufacturers, merchants and supply chain services to the construction sector. 

CIC plans for 2025 into 2026 includes a continued focus on gender inclusion and creating inclusive workplaces, the promotion of more family-friendly HR policies and initiatives and enlisting more men in construction for allyship. These plans will be ratified at the Coalition in Conversation conference to be held on 9 October.

-> Building a Better Legacy