After last month’s publication of a landmark report which outlined the diversity performance at City Building, Kieran Findlay and Darren Robertson visited the company’s Queenslie Training Centre in Glasgow to ask executive director Dr Graham Paterson about what drives its promotion for social inclusion.

City Building is one of Scotland’s largest construction firms, with over 2,200 staff. The Glasgow business is underpinned by a unique social ethos which includes providing sustainable employment for a diverse range of people including those with disabilities and other under-represented groups.

As part of its socially inclusive approach the organisation has established a comprehensive youth employment policy, which includes a dedicated additional support for learning (ASL) schools programme.

A landmark report produced to assist City Building’s diversity drive has found that almost half of its employees come from geographical areas identified as being the three most deprived in Scotland.

Staff at City Building have marked Mental Health Awareness Week with a day of fun and stress-busting activities at their Darnick Street headquarters.

City Building have signed up to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant which amongst a number of principles includes the promise that we will promote our organisation as an armed forces-friendly organization.

City Building has boosted a Glasgow community café’s plans to expand after donating much needed catering equipment.

The Glasgow-based construction company provided growing social enterprise Milk Café, which is based in the Govanhill area of the city, with an integrated coffee machine and fridge. Both items had previously been on display in the firm’s Darnick Street headquarters. A brand new microwave was also gifted to the café from City Building supplier Thain Commercial.

Siobhan Logue at the inaugural Herald Diversity Conference in May last year with City Building making great strides in attracting women into the industry and helping them to progress, SCN catches up with four of its brightest employees who are each taking their opportunities to blaze their own trail in the sector.
Historically, craft trades have been male-dominated but Glasgow construction firm City Building has made strong progress in attracting more women as part of plans to improve diversity across the business.

The company employs 20% of all female craft apprentices in Scotland and 55% of its senior management are women.
Among the success stories is contracts manager Natalie McPherson, 34, who joined City Building over 16 years ago as an apprentice painter and decorator. Natalie, who now manages multiple projects on behalf of client Glasgow City Council, entered the industry after undertaking a six-week City Building ‘taster’ course at school.

Glasgow-based City Building is ending the year on a high following a flurry of award wins recognising the construction firm’s unique approach to corporate responsibility and diversity.

The company gained a total of seven accolades throughout 2017, including Diversity Star Performer and Recruitment of Talents and Youth at The Herald’s Diversity Awards, HR NETWORK’s Corporate Responsibility of the Year and Best Employer of the Year, and Glasgow’s Fairest Employer by the Glasgow Guarantee.