FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
As of 15 August 2024 Women into Construction (WiC), an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in construction ceased trading.
In a statement on the organisation’s website, Kath Moore MBE, Managing Director – Women into Construction CIC said: “Financially, WiC has suffered a difficult trading year due a challenging economic climate for both the charitable and construction sector. The company has worked tirelessly to find solutions to these challenges however, despite our best efforts, we have concluded that our business model is no longer viable.
“We know that there is still much to be done to transform diversity in the construction industry, but we are proud of all that we have achieved over the past 16 years.
“Over 4,700 women have had in depth support, 3000 completed industry training, 1,300 completed work placements and this led an amazing 1,300 women gaining employment. We’ve worked with over 350 companies and forged partnerships with training providers, DWP, local stakeholders and industry bodies to further our cause and support the industry.
“Our work has transformed the lives of over 1300 women who now work in construction – and we know that this mighty army will continue to challenge and change the construction companies they now work in, alongside all their colleagues and supporters who have not only understood but embraced our message over the past 16 years.
“We wish to thank all our staff, our stakeholders, corporate members, delivery partners, programme clients and of course all the women we’ve had the joy to work with. We hope that the foundations we have built with all our stakeholders will allow you all to keep Changing the Face of Construction!”
WiC has appointed CBW Recovery LLP to manage the closure of the business.
Frontline workers form the backbone of facilities management services, serving as the face of the brand and interacting directly with customers. Yet research by both L&G and the Living Wage Foundation reveals the majority feel overlooked and expendable.
Accelerating the problem is a growing technology gap. Despite having 2.7 billion deskless workers worldwide, representing 80 per cent of the global workforce, only one per cent of software and technology investments has been allocated to this segment. This means there is a huge disconnect between frontline workers and their headquarters, leading to lack of sufficient training, communication challenges and low employee retention.
For this webinar, FMJ has teamed up with frontline training platform Lingio to bring together a panel of experts, to discuss how easy-to-use and efficient AI tools can help create engaging and gamified learning experiences that fit the needs of underserved deskless workers. The result? Better software and learning experiences lead to improved staff engagement and reduced staff turnover by up to 95 per cent, according to McKinsey.
To register for the webinar taking place on 11 September at 11:00 am click here.
