Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Championing Diversity and Inclusion is a strategic objective for the ECITB.

Our Goal
To support and influence the engineering construction industry in creating a strong culture of inclusion for all, regardless of background, and to widen diversity of participation from current levels.

Attracting a more diverse range of recruits into engineering construction is an important priority to help meet the skills demands forecast for the industry.

There is a clear need to ensure new entrants to engineering construction are more representative of the UK population as a whole. Only by opening up recruitment to a wider, more diverse talent pool, and creating inclusive environments that embrace diversity, can industry hope to yield the benefits.

The ECITB is committed to working closely with industry and partner organisations to champion Equity, Diversity and Inclusion so that engineering construction is a place for all.

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan sets out our objectives for this strategy period to progress towards our goal.

Our key aims during this strategy period are:

  • Stimulate knowledge sharing and support opportunities.
  • Encourage collection of diversity data to drive action.
  • Work with partners to widen the diversity of participation on ECITB new entrant schemes.
  • Improve the collection of actionable diversity metrics for ECITB training programmes.


Click to read the full Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan

Training and development that promotes diversity of thought, encourages meaningful discourse, and cultivates inclusion is the cornerstone of organisational change and progress.”

“Given the right investment, the right support from organisational leadership and implemented under the right conditions, learning can become that all important driver for change.”

Andrew Hockey, ECITB

Join the Engineering Construction D&I Network

The ECITB is launching a Diversity and Inclusion network for stakeholders across the Engineering Construction industry, commencing March 2024. The network will promote, champion, support and encourage sharing of good practice in diversity, inclusion, and equity across the industry by engaging with in-scope employers, D&I partner organisations, and other key stakeholders.

The network will gather on a quarterly basis and will explore various key themes around the subject of D&I. We will showcase industry examples of good D&I practice, host talks and knowledge shares by D&I experts and provide a forum for discussion and collaboration amongst in-scope employers on EDI related campaigns and projects.

Our first network meeting is on 20th March 2024. To join the network, please contact your Account Manager or Michelle Taylor, Careers & Inclusion Manager, at michelle.taylor@ecitb.org.uk

Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei)

The ECITB is a proud member of the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei), the UK’s leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace. As part of our membership, we have access to a range of resources, consultancy, industry forums, and events and training – all of which we will utilise to drive and maintain our organisational knowledge and awareness around equity, diversity, and inclusion.

IDEA Taskforce

To mark its commitment to bring about change across the industry workforce, the ECITB created an Inclusion, Diversity, Equality Action taskforce (IDEA).

IDEA has been established to help ensure diversity and inclusion awareness is embedded in ECITB training standards, raise awareness and showcase diversity in action and promote the industry as an appealing career choice for all.

To find out more or to connect with IDEA please contact IDEA@ecitb.org.uk

Download IDEA Flyer

Working together to create something better

In 2023 the ECITB entered a strategic partnership with The Association of Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers. AFBE-UK provides support and promotes higher achievements in Education and Engineering particularly among students and professionals from ethnic minority background.

The ECITB believes working with AFBE-UK and being able to draw down on their experience and insights, will help us support industry in increasing the number of ethnic minority people who pursue a long and successful career in Engineering Construction.

Learn more about the Association For Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers

ECITB approved diversity and inclusion training courses

The ECITB is delighted to have approved several national UK training providers to deliver diversity and inclusion and unconscious bias training courses at the high level that meets the ECITB’s exacting quality and training standards.

To have an impact it’s important that the training is thought-provoking and interactive and so the approved courses all include discussions, practical exercises, video stories and personal reflections along with consolidation of the learning. Each course also covers all the key areas required to lay the foundation of working towards improved inclusivity and equity in the workplace and include training on:

  • The business case and positive aspects of ED&I
  • The legal requirements and protected characteristics
  • Language and terms used to describe D&I initiatives
  • How to work in an inclusive manner, how to challenge non-inclusive behaviour

If you are interested in developing a course that can be delivered under ECITB licence against the Introduction to Diversity and Inclusion and Unconscious Bias standards please contact catherine.lambert@ecitb.org.uk

ED&I Campaigns

You can explore previous ED&I campaigns by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Useful links and information

The ECITB work closely with a number of partner organisations to keep informed and demonstrate our commitment to underrepresented groups in the engineering construction industry. Below is a list of partnering organisations as well as wider organisations that we recommend when taking action related to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Our ED&I partners:

Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers
The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code

Diversity & Inclusion support programmes:

Equal Engineers
WISE Campaign
INWED
STEM Returners
Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme
MyPlus