Willmott Dixon Interiors’ social value team has been recognised in this year’s Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards.
The team was honoured with an ‘Excellence in Outreach’ award for its exceptional commitment to uplifting the local community and inspiring women to consider careers in construction.
We are one of only four organisations to be recognised at the prestigious industry awards – jointly hosted by Construction News and New Civil Engineer – which champion the role of women in construction and engineering.
Consisting entirely of women, our remarkable social value team serve as daily beacons of encouragement, motivating the next generation to enter the construction sector and offering positive role models for those they empower.
Investing in the community is at the heart of our business
Building Lives is one of the key themes of Willmott Dixon Interiors’ Now or Never strategy, which has ambitious targets to achieve within the next seven years.
Every project we deliver features a social value plan, ensuring that we not only fulfil customer requirements but also bring significant benefits to surrounding communities.
Our social value team plays an active role in the communities where we operate by donating the time, skills, and expertise of our people. This is accomplished through initiatives such as outreach programmes that encourage women to pursue careers in construction, and help build their confidence in preparation for doing so.
We are incredibly proud of Building Lives. The effort our people put into upskilling and improving the knowledge of young people is outstanding. Our social value team plays a central role in this endeavour, and we are delighted to see its outstanding contributions acknowledged in this remarkable achievement.
How our award-winning social value team adapts to inspire women into construction
Our social value team recently worked with 40 inmates to deliver a programme focusing on women in construction at HMP New Hall, a women’s prison.
Determined to alter the perception that construction is exclusively a male domain, our social value team partnered with inmates to showcase the diverse career opportunities within the construction field, emphasise transferable skills, and promote the industry’s open embrace of women.
Participants told us that the session enhanced their interview, collaboration, and teamwork abilities, while also providing valuable insights into the construction industry. The women expressed their gratitude to our team for dedicating their time and expertise, and all the key objectives and expectations were successfully achieved.
In another instance, our social value team was presented with the challenge of organising two weeks of work experience for female fashion students. Acknowledging the stark contrast between the fashion and construction industries, our social value team was tasked with creating a placement that would be captivating, motivating, and advantageous for participants.
Every single student affirmed that their confidence and skills had seen a positive boost through the session. Additionally, every participant expressed a strong inclination toward considering a career in the construction industry.
In addition to these notable instances of inspiring women to explore careers in construction, our social value team routinely hosts school assemblies and participates in career fairs to motivate young individuals to contemplate a career in the construction industry.
Through our social value initiatives, we engaged with over 14,500 individuals last year.
