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Insight series: The importance of Social Value

Ken Morgan

DELIVERING SOCIAL VALUE THROUGH MENTORING

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John Rowan and Partners has issued a challenge to companies working within the public sector to rethink how they can support the emerging new generation of workers in a post-lockdown world. It’s great for the construction sector to be embracing the idea of ‘building back better’ but Ken Morgan, Equity Partner and Head of the Public Sector Regeneration team, has an idea of what ‘better’ could actually look like…

Now that the construction industry is beginning to ramp up its work programme, we don’t want to lose sight of what building back better could mean in the public sector, particularly for the young people that live and work within the communities we work in.

The public sector has a long history of promoting social value through procurement but we feel now is the time to make this even more robust and really define what value we can provide to the communities that really need it.

Don’t underestimate the value in mentoring

There are many ways that businesses like ours can help communities – whether it’s working with local schools or colleges to provide work experience or CV writing workshops, participating in mentoring programmes or joining forces with organisations like the Construction Youth Trust.

The construction industry has a great history in sharing its skills and expertise with the wider community, but the impact of Covid makes this even more important.

We are in a world now where unemployment is rising, businesses are folding, and others are merging to try and save costs. The same is true for our clients, such as housing associations, and there’s a real need to address the skills and experience gap this environment creates – and that doesn’t only apply to young people who are just starting out on their career journeys.

Use your professional skills

Putting our ‘money where our mouth is’, we have been working with the Housing Diversity Network (HDN) to help mentor people working in the housing sector. Made up of housing associations, the HDN is a social enterprise that aims to inspire and empower people, promoting equality, diversity and opportunity for all. It uses mentoring as a way of enabling individuals to tap into the experience of people already working in similar fields, or whose skill sets overlap.

I personally first started working with HDN a couple of years ago and I have now mentored three separate individuals, supporting them with advice and training that’s directly related to their current job situations and their career aspirations. I’m proud to say that my first mentee won a ‘Overall Best Immersed Mentee’ award.

Benefits go both ways

It is hugely rewarding seeing how individuals grow in the six months you work with them, and to see their evident desire and enthusiasm for personal development.

The HDN matches you to candidates and provides you with training to ensure you can give your ‘mentee’ the best support possible. My next mentoring challenge begins in September, and I’m really looking forward to it.

The HDN is just one organisation you could work with however and we are also about to work with local schools as part of the

“It is hugely rewarding seeing how individuals grow in the six months you work with them.”

London Enterprise Advice Network (LEAN) as an enterprise adviser.

LEAN is another great example of how professionals can help young people to build the skills and experiences they need to lead successful futures. It does this by connecting businesses with schools and colleges. This ensures that young people are aware of all the career pathways and opportunities available to them.

I think the schools and colleges are likely to encounter some enormous challenges following the Covid lockdown and I feel it is our moral responsibility to be proactive so that we can support our future generations.

Get involved

I appreciate mentoring may not be for everyone, but I do believe that all businesses have a role to play and something they can offer. Maybe it’s offering work experience, or providing career advice and support, or running mock interview sessions via Zoom or another online platform.

If the construction industry is serious about ‘building back better’ then we need to be smarter in the ways we support people in the shorter term.

We must make sure the young people who live within the communities we work in don’t miss out, and with so many different companies working within the public sector and specifically affordable housing, I firmly believe that we could really make a difference!

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