The LCL Awards’ Inclusivity Charter, which has been introduced to promote respectful behaviour and flexible course delivery so more people can access training in the building services sector, is a finalist in the Training Initiative category of this year’s HVR Awards!

Vote for us here: www.hvrawards.com/vote/

We developed the Charter, alongside Hattie Hasan MBE, founder of all-female plumbing business, Stopcocks Women Plumbers, in response to the lack of women and other under-represented groups in the building services engineering sector. Its designed for our approved training centres, to encourage them to take steps to make their facilities welcoming places, with flexible course options to suit people from all walks of life.

Officially launched to LCL Awards centres at the end of April, those that sign up to the Charter must first review where they are in-terms of inclusivity – from not tolerating offensive language, to developing courses which can be delivered online and/or in the evening and at weekends to suit the needs of parents (as well as people fitting training in around the day job). This ‘Inclusivity Charter Checklist’ forms part of LCL Awards’ auditing process, which its accredited centres must complete annually.

Interest amongst women in building services has grown exponentially in recent years, but there are still prejudices and barriers, such as childcare (an issue for all parents).

In a post Covid age, we are all far more used to communicating online. Many aspects of LCL’s qualifications can be delivered in this way, something that came into its own during lockdowns. These tools, plus other flexible approaches, such as evening and weekend courses, open up training to a much broader range of people.

Overall, the BSE sector is experiencing a skills shortage. We need more people if we are going to meet the demand presented by a low carbon future. Varied viewpoints and life experiences will also progress our industry for the better.

With 150 centres throughout the UK, LCL Awards has the potential to make a real difference – more diversity in the classroom will result in more diversity in the workplace, which will also have an impact at grass roots level, encouraging more young women to choose trade and engineering roles.

For our centres, apart from being the right thing to do, attracting more people is ultimately good for business. Women in particular are a largely untapped marketplace. There are also benefits for staff working in these centres - workplaces where well-being is valued tend to have better staff retention and greater productivity.

The HVR Award ceremony takes place in London at the end of September. Wish us luck!

To view our Inclusivity Charter, click here.

Don't forget to vote for us!

LCL Awards centres interested in signing up to the Charter, should contact Tracy Harker: tracy.harker@lclawards.co.uk.