CEO of Cast Consultancy, Mark Farmer, will headline a major industry debate on improving the image of construction
Organised by CIMCIG – the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) Construction Industry Group –on 16 May, the annual debate will take place at the House of Lords.
It will look to address the challenges in attracting new talent to the construction industry, having workforce diversity, the ability to deliver cost-effective innovations and busting the many misconceptions of the sector.
Joining Mark Farmer in the panel to discuss the many challenges of improving the image of construction and the possible solutions will be: Sadie Morgan, director at dRMM Architects; Sam Stacey, challenge director of transforming construction at UK Research and Innovation; Mark Reynolds, chief executive of Mace Group and Jade Lewis, director of advocacy at Saint Gobain.
In 2016, Mark Farmer was commissioned by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) to undertake an independent review of the UK’s construction labour model, focussing on the skills pressures and other constraints that limit housebuilding and infrastructure development in the UK. The debate aims to unite professional leaders across a variety of disciplines within the construction sector to discuss the current situation, the key issues, and the actions the industry must take to improve the image of construction.
Mike Lomax, chair of the CIMCIG, said: “The demographics of our industry are such that we are now losing more people each year than we are gaining. Too many people have the impression that working in the sector simply means getting your hands dirty on site, which of course is untrue.
“Construction has something for everyone, and it’s our job as marketers to dispel the myths surrounding our industry and attract the best and brightest talent the next generation has to offer.
“The debate will create a forum where people from across the sector can discuss how to redesign our market to deliver better results and become more attractive to top talent.”
The improving the image of construction debate will also include networking accompanied by a luncheon and afternoon tea. More info can be found here.
