Purpose Coalition & Tarmac - Levelling Up Impact Report

Levelling Up Impact Report

Rt

Hon

Justine

Greening, Former Secretary of State for Education, Chair - Purpose Coalition

Considering the external challenges facing businesses in the current economic and social climate, the continued and accelerating focus on purpose for so many businesses across all sectors is inspiring.

These challenges are highlighting the need for businesses to have a detailed and thoughtful plan on how to best spread and equalise opportunity.

Too frequently, where someone starts off in life is often where they end up. This unfortunately has only been exacerbated by the issues experienced by so many today, presenting two significant challenges facing organisation’s and policymakers moving forward - ‘people’ and ‘planet’.

More and more businesses are recognising their power in these areas and are seeking to bring about meaningful and purposeful social change from the ground up. With the most ambitious of these organisations seeking to truly affect lives in the communities they operate in, as well as for their customers and employees.

Tarmac is one of these organisations. Through an acknowledgment of its influence and the pledge inherent in its desire to go even further, Tarmac is taking on the responsibility of affecting change head on - and is encouraging other businesses to do so. Only through the action of businesses, across the wide range of sectors, can effective change truly be made.

Tarmac is committed to measure and build upon its impact, ensuring its purpose contributes towards boosting social mobility

for all and a successful, growth-based net-zero economy. As the UK’s leading construction materials company, Tarmac can, and does, play a central role in both of these hurdles facing current and future generations.

Through its commitment to both ‘people’ and ‘planet’ as two of its three foundational pillars, Tarmac has committed to the overarching goals of both social mobility and levelling up.

Tarmac’s ‘Early Careers Support Plan’ is not only recruiting young, often more disadvantaged, individuals into the business but is supporting them to get on and excel in whichever area they feel their skillset is best suited.

The nurturing of employees through personalised support plans, ‘buddy’ mentoring, and retraining opportunities is a working example of how a large business can produce social value through employee engagement and development programmes.

Tarmac also delivers on its organisational ‘planet’ pillar by leading the way in the construction industry, prioritising cutting-edge solutions to the climate-based challenges society faces.

The Purpose Coalition welcomes the comprehensive work Tarmac is already doing and looks forward to working with the organisation and developing its purposeful impact.

1 Foreword

Graeme Boylen, HR Director, U.K & Ireland - Tarmac

Our commitment to delivering positive outcomes against the Levelling Up Goals and maximising our long-term social value impact as a critical infrastructure provider and land custodian in the UK has never been more important. We are pleased that some of our key initiatives have been acknowledged in this impact report, particularly in regard to our people development, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and community engagement.

Tarmac has a well-established history of investing in a skilled workforce, across the whole UK, including some of the most economically challenged regions. We are proud of our cultural ethos of providing people with the skills, resources and opportunity to achieve their full potential regardless of the socio-economic background. A significant proportion of both our middle and senior management teams began their careers as apprentices in our business, which is a testament to our ongoing commitment to learning, personal development and to truly being a meritocratic business. The passion and drive to continue this pattern and legacy is clear, with the support that our current leaders provide in mentoring, training and supporting each new intake of our diverse early careers population to help create the leaders of tomorrow.

Our sustainability activities are clearly laid out in our Act Strategy, with our ambition to achieve net zero detailed in our roadmap, plotting the steps we will take to achieve our goal.

The work we have done in our recent history to embrace equality, diversity and inclusion was designed to help us to be more reflective of the communities we serve. The added benefit we have seen is that it enabled us to build a workforce with a rich diversity of thought, enabling creative solutions to be developed to solve customer and industry problems, further improving our business.

Our sustainability activities are clearly laid out in our Act Strategy, with our ambition to achieve net zero detailed in our roadmap, plotting the steps we will take to achieve our goal. This is further supported by our transparent and challenging interim targets, such as reducing our absolute carbon by 30% by 2030, again building on our strong track record of delivering a 38% reduction in CO2 since 1990.

Being a responsible custodian of the land we own and occupy is a role we take very seriously. Throughout the operational life of our sites and facilities, we pride ourselves on being a positive part of the communities we are within, contributing to local groups, clubs and societies, supporting local charities and educational establishments as well as supporting the local economy through provision of local jobs and

supply chain opportunities. Upon the end of life of our operations, we strive to leave a positive legacy, restoring land for community benefit and even donating land to Historic England and English Heritage so areas of local importance can be preserved for future generations.

Having a positive impact within the communities we serve is not a new endeavour for Tarmac, but we acknowledge that the needs of communities are changing at pace, and we are committed to refining and refocusing our efforts and activities into areas that will be the most impactful. Our partnership with the Purpose Coalition is a clear and deliberate step in our journey to ensure we do just that.

We will continue to build on our existing initiatives to deliver the greatest social value impact, whilst maintaining our position as an industry leader and a competitive business. The recommendations within this report have been used to formulate our ongoing social value and community engagement activities on both a national and local level. We look forward to working with Justine Greening and the other organisations within the Purpose Coalition to drive forward the Levelling Up agenda and learning from one another to achieve success.

Having a positive impact within the communities we serve is not a new endeavour for Tarmac, but we acknowledge that the needs of communities are changing at pace, and we are committed to refining and refocusing our efforts and activities into areas that will be the most impactful.

Tackling the UK’s Biggest Challenges and The Journey to the Purpose Goals

Tarmac and the Purpose Coalition are working together to tackle the UK’s biggest challenges facing customers, colleagues and communities. From helping people with the cost of living crisis in the short term, to levelling up across the country.

The cost of living is the biggest issue facing the United Kingdom today, and will require action from all sections of our society - whether politics, business, or all of us as individuals helping out our friends, neighbours and local communities where we can. Whilst the cost of living crisis will affect the poorest in society the most, with those households facing a higher level of inflation, one of the biggest challenges for the government is that the rising cost of living will affect almost everyone.

The Purpose Coalition measures organisations against what they are doing for their customers, colleagues and communities through the Purpose Goals with tools such as the Cost of Living Taskforce.

In 2015, as Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Justine Greening led the UK delegation to the United Nations (UN). Along with 184 international partners, she helped to establish the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2017, the SDGs were made

more ‘actionable’ by a UN resolution adopted by the General Assembly which identified specific targets for each goal, along with indicators used to measure progress towards each target.

These 17 interlinked, global goals were designed to be ‘a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’. The SDGs emphasised the interdependent environment, social and economic aspects of development by centralising the role of sustainability. As Secretary of State, Justine recognised how useful a common set of accessible but ambitious objectives could be in galvanising action to effect change.

Since then the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis has only exacerbated many of the problems relating to social inequality in the UK.

The pathway towards recovery is a chance for the United Kingdom to address these issues and level up but that requires updated and specific goals in order to outline, inspire and measure progress. The most committed signatories of the Social Mobility Pledge, the Purpose Coalition, and the Cost of Living Taskforce aim to improve social mobility in the UK and have responded to this challenge with the launch of the Purpose Goals in February 2021 and the Cost of Living Taskforce in August 2022.

The Purpose Goals build on the foundations laid by the UN’s SDGs by outlining 14 clear goals, and

draw on expertise provided by academia and businesses which has been applied to the unique challenges facing the UK currently in what has potential to be a profound levelling down moment for the country.

The Purpose Goals focus on key life stages and highlight the main issues that need to be resolved in order to create a level playing field for all in this country. The Goals are intended to guide how the urgent ambition to level up the UK can actually be achieved. The impact of the work carried out to do this can, and should, be measurable.

Sub-goals with quantifiable targets and measurements against which progress can be charted within the 14 goals are being developed by the Purpose Coalition. This will create a more transparent and measurable framework with which to monitor and subsequently address problems of social mobility and inequality. The Purpose Goals are designed to look at the outcomes of CSR strategies and measures that organisations operate. Many organisations are doing outstanding work and making important contributions to society but are still measuring this via inputs.

Crucially, these Goals are a shared framework. Justine and the wider Purpose Coalition, of which Tarmac is a key member, believe that with a common understanding and objectives, there can be action that drives change on the ground. Distinct entities, including universities, businesses, policy-makers, and public sector bodies can work together, with the shared Goals being a uniting and motivating foundation for progress. As the problems which cause social inequality in the UK are interlinked, it seems that the response to these problems must also be collaborative.

The Purpose Coalition has encouraged businesses and universities to share their own best practice with other organisations so they are not only demonstrating their own commitment, but creating a shift towards purpose-led organisations. The Goals can encourage an extension of this co-operative exchange of information which can be used to address the cost of living crisis, and later level up the UK.

3 The role of Tarmac in the Purpose Agenda and meeting the Purpose Goals

Background

Tarmac is the UK's leading sustainable construction materials, road contracting and building products business. More widely - Tarmac is part of CRH, the world’s leading building materials business.

Employing over 6,000 people across over 350 sites in the UK, Tarmac seeks to innovate while helping to provide the vital infrastructure, services and products necessary to grow the economy.

Through prioritising a collaborative approach at every level, Tarmac’s work ranges from providing solutions for small DIY projects to playing a pivotal role in some of the largest and most highprofile construction ventures in the UK. Some of the organisation’s high profile projects have included; Wembley Stadium, Heathrow Terminal 5, The Shard, Silverstone Resurfacing and the London 2012 Olympics.

Levelling Up Priorities

Tarmac’s Sustainability Strategy ‘Act’ has three pillars which display an overarching commitment to the purpose agenda and directly working towards levelling up regions across the country:

‘People’ - Tarmac is a business that employs great people and maintains strong community relationships.

‘Planet’ - Tarmac is committed to using resources efficiently and enhancing the environment through stewardship of sites.

‘Solutions’ - Tarmac is determined to play an important role in building a sustainable society.

As a people-focused organisation, Tarmac places a considerable emphasis on the learning and evolution of all employees - steering ambition and supporting employees in the development of practical, technical, and soft skills across all departments of the business.

Tarmac offers the opportunity to earn formal qualifications and industry specific training, as well as offering schemes for those outside the construction sector to re-train within the organisation. As well as a vast range of re-training and upskilling options, Tarmac was the first employer in its sector to achieve apprenticeship provider status. As a business, it is industryleading in employee development and progression, standing as a model of best practice for other, similar, organisations.

Tarmac also presents a clear vision for diversity and inclusion within the business“To build and celebrate a fair and supportive culture that promotes opportunities for all, where everyone feels proud to be themselves.” This vision is achieved, in-part, through a process of continually reviewing the company’s people policy, with all employees welcomed and encouraged to inform on how this could be improved.

Tarmac has made sustainability a priority and acknowledges the benefits of sustainability for the business, employees and communities. The grounding principle of the business is an acknowledgment of the importance of harnessing the energy transition and operating more sustainably for all in society - from investors, to customers, employees and the communities within which it works. Having this point underpinning the work Tarmac does against this agenda means it can benchmark any project against this organisational underpinning.

This focus on doing what is best for a coalition of benefiting parties is central to Tarmac’s ‘whole life’ approach. Focusing not only conventionally on the extraction, manufacture and transport of construction products on a large-scale, but also considering the sustainable performance in use and the opportunities to recycle and reuse these products at their end of life.

4 Mapping Tarmac’s activity against the Purpose Goals

Many organisations have strong commitments to traditional Corporate Social Responsibility and the ESG agenda. This section of the report will map several of Tarmac’s specific initiatives against the Purpose Goals, to track where progress is being made and where efforts could be redirected or better targeted.

Goal 1

Strong foundations in early years

Through Tarmac’s community engagement policy, its Landfill Communities Fund and its project specific Social Value Action Plans, the organisation contributes to early years development in a number of ways.

Pre-school support

Tarmac supports children in pre-school settings with donations for much needed equipment. In February 2022, the organisation donated £350 to the Barrow Upon Soar Pre-School Playgroup in Leicestershire for new sensory

equipment for children with special educational needs. Other examples of support include ad hoc donations to nurseries for raffle prizes and donations to parent and toddler groups to fund Santa visits and Christmas presents.

Support for community centres

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund has supported community centres near the company’s operations.

For example, in 2021, the fund donated £15,000 to redevelop the Kingsley community centre in Cheshire, near Tarmac’s Crown Farm quarry. The community centre is a hub for residents, hosting a range of different activities for local people.

A grant of £50,000 also enabled Wirksworth Parochial Council in Derbyshire, near Tarmac’s Ballidon quarry, to upgrade the facilities at the multi-purpose Maltings community venue. - The Maltings is the largest community space in the town and often hosts activities for children and young families.

Goal 2 Successful school years

Support for primary and secondary schools

A number of Tarmac STEM ambassadors go into school to deliver STEM related activities, focused on looking at the education engagement piece from early years.

Tarmac produces and shares Kidsafe packs and holds Road Safety Awareness assemblies.

Tarmac sponsors the Shropshire Daily Mile - providing materials, plant, and labour to construct running tracks in 17 schools across the county. In-line with Shropshire Council’s health and well-being strategy, Tarmac helped to empower children, with the necessary facilities, within school boundaries to run a mile every day.

‘Solutions for the Planet’ campaign supports schools and young people around sustainability.

Locale specific Community Liaison Officers provide support to a variety of schools, offering different events and activities for young people.

A number of Tarmac locations offer visitor centres where school visits are hosted.

Pre-covid, from the Tarmac facilities in Panshanger Park, Hertfordshire, a forest school was run for local children.

Tarmac donates materials to help resurface school playgrounds. Specifically, The Mosley Academy, in Anslow, Burton-on-Trent; Catshill First School and Nursery, in Bromsgrove; and Hugglescote Primary School, in Coalville.

General donations to schools including gardening equipment, funding for outdoor classrooms, shelters and playgrounds. For example, donations from Tarmac’s quarry in Tunstead, Derbyshire, to local schools in Buxton led to schoolchildren building and maintaining their own school garden.

Partnerships with local schools and organisations to facilitate more activities for children in nature. For example, Tarmac’s Skipton Quarry partners with Yorkshire Dales National Park to host an educational visit for a local school.

Ongoing partnership with Northumberland National Park, sponsoring STEM events and arranging school visits to Barrasford Quarry.

Experienced and qualified Tarmac staff volunteer as Governors at local schools.

The organisation also publicly supports the Period Poverty Campaign in Birmingham schools.

Tarmac donates to local community groups and parish councils to provide facilities, like youth shelters and Scout Huts, for young people.

Raising awareness of careers

Tarmac is committed to attending a number of careers fairs every year across the country. It holds interview practice and CV workshops in local authority areas where it holds long-term contracts.

The organisation exhibits annually at ‘What Career Live?’, ‘What University Live?’, and The Big Band North West.

Voluntary Enterprise Advisors work directly with a school or a college to develop a strong careers programme and help to create opportunities for young people.

Tarmac provides specific support for schools, through employability workshops, in the application of eight Gatsby Benchmark frameworks.

Goal 3

Positive destinations post-16+

Early Careers Support Plan

Tarmac actively supports all early career entrants with the organisation’s ‘Early Careers Support Plan’ with a “consistent approach to managing the early careers experience”.

The plan includes:

A centrally coordinated business induction with guidance provided locally.

Identification of support roles upfront with mentors and buddies assigned.

Mapping the ‘learning journey’ with best practice approach to placements defined across the business, each individual is supported with a centrally stored personal development plan (accessible by line manager, HR etc.)

Throughout the support programme there is a structured and defined approach to all feedback offered.

Apprenticeships and graduate programmes

Tarmac currently has over 270 active apprentices at all levels. The organisation is an approved Employer Provider delivering one standard internally, and will expand to three in the near future - 1 out of 3 of all apprenticeships are delivered internally using this model. The rest are delivered externally.

All graduates and apprentices are recruited on permanent contracts with employment offered at the end of their training, subject to all educational requirements being met.

Tarmac actively targets specific sections of the population to ensure the widest social demographic is reached. Tarmac currently works with schools and Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure the early careers opportunities offered are cascaded to those who do not have a network of contacts.

Tarmac offers a technical skills provision available for employees at all levels, using a variety of funding methods.

Tarmac is an industry representative for the Institute for Apprenticeships Trailblazer group, creating a Level 6 Geoscience Apprenticeship.

Tarmac has established, on its Norfolk Highways & Related Services contract, a Shared Apprenticeship Scheme model with Norfolk county council. Two of the personnel initially involved worked with Tarmac through the ‘Get into Construction’ work experience programme, organised by the Prince’s Trust. Following the completion of this programme, both individuals successfully applied for the full-time apprenticeships.

Tarmac’s longer-term contracts and supply chain frameworks, National Highways for example, undertake role swaps and apprentice training for short secondments to aid learning.

National Skills and Safety Park

Tarmac’s National Skills and Safety Park, located at Nether Langwith Quarry, near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, has successfully undergone its first Ofsted inspectionpassing all three assessment areas.

Opened by HRH Prince William in 2020, the facility provides first-class practical training for emerging industry talent, including apprentices, graduates and those retraining from other sectors. The Park has welcomed over 7,000 visitors undertaking learning since its opening.

The company’s operative apprenticeship programme, the Professional Operator Development Programme (PODP) is one example of a number of practical training programmes delivered at the Park.

PODP is designed around the mineral processing mobile and static plant operator apprenticeship qualification, delivered through a series of workshops, e-learning modules and practical on-the-job training.

Outreach work

Tarmac hosts careers fairs for 14-16 year olds to ensure they have the opportunity to consider the organisation as an employer.

Tarmac provides employment skills workshops for young people aged 16 and over.

Tarmac has close ties with the University of Derby local to its base, as well as other links nationwide.

Frequent guest lectures and site visits to higher education colleges and universities are undertaken.

Tarmac offers an Enterprise Advisor Scheme with the invitation to become a Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Cornerstone Employer.

Provision of Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) Geoscience dissertation projects.

Strategic Donations

Tarmac has donated over £130,000 to Prince’s Trust initiatives since 2009.

Tarmac donates towards community organisations that provide training opportunities. For example; The Cornforth Partnership, a local charity in County Durham, was awarded a donation of £32,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund. This donation allowed for renovations of Cornforth House, the charity’s base - “a vital community hub in the heart” of the local community.

The 5% Club Accreditation

The 5% Club is a dynamic movement of employers who are inspired to take positive action for increased, inclusive, and accessible workplace training for all.

With a membership which now exceeds 750 companies, The 5% Club represents over 1.6 million employees, 93,500 of which are in ‘earn and learn’ schemes. The employer audit is a unique scheme which validates the employers’ activities, explores their future plans and commitments, and examines their approaches to quality, social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

Tarmac is one of just 107 employers that has been awarded Gold accredited membership via The 5% Club’s 2022-23 Employer Audit Scheme.

Tarmac actively targets specific sections of the population to ensure the widest social demographic is reached.

Goal 4 Right advice and experiences

Best practice advice

Tarmac partners with schools to provide insight days into life at Tarmac for early careers. This includes visiting schools with Tarmac apprentices, allowing them to interact with the young people directly.

Tarmac’s support has been recognised by The Department of Work and Pensions as best practice and case study videos have been distributed to job centres across the UK.

Tarmac has worked with the ‘End Youth Homelessness’ movement to provide positive action support for young people, offering a pathway to forge a career with the company.

As part of the Norfolk Highways & Related Services contract;

Tarmac plays an active role in supporting ‘Norwich for Jobs’ - a voluntary group working with employers for young people.

As part of the Employer’s Panel, the company encourages organisations to give young people opportunities, acting as ambassadors for apprenticeships and speaking at milestone events.

The relationship, as well as ties with JobCentre+ and HMP Norwich, facilitated Tarmac providing an 8 week work placement, followed by a full-time contract, to a disabled candidate seeking to rejoin the workforce.

Goal 5 Open recruitment Recruitment processes

The Tarmac resourcing team works with hiring managers to provide a shortlist for interviews that have been delivered by the team, who are all trained in unconscious bias. Tarmac frequently challenges where the team feels this would be beneficial to the organisation. Equality, diversity and inclusion data is anonymised during the recruitment process. And recruitment processes are reviewed annually.

Tarmac monitors demographic data from ‘Early Careers’ applicants;

38% identified as white.

59.6% identified as ‘global majority’, a significant increase in that demographic from previous years (37% in 2021) and on the industry norm of 13%.

Tarmac has ensured that access to its early careers roles are as flexible as possible, without compromising on quality, through offering reasonable adjustments to support candidates at all times during the recruitment process.

Recruitment partnerships

To ensure its vacancies are advertised to as wide a range of potential applicants and demographics as possible, Tarmac has worked with Recycling Lives charity and Shaw Trust.

When recruiting, Tarmac uses an external company to utilise demographic information on social media to place targeted adverts to under-represented groups in construction.

All recruitment managers are inclusion and diversity (I&D) trained before the selection process commences.

Tarmac partners with various diverse job boards, for example; Diversity Jobs Group helps to ensure the maximum reach of relevant opportunities.

As mentioned above, Tarmac actively works with Recycling Lives for ex-offenders and Careers Transition Partnership for exservice personnel - working to recruit from these and other similar organisations.

Tarmac is the first construction company to partner with Scope, a disability equality charity in England and Wales. Tarmac has advertised 15 vacancies in 2022 on the charity’s official jobs board.

Tarmac is a Disability Confidence and Clear Assured Silver accreditation holder.

Careers Transition Partnership

Tarmac is involved with the Careers Transition Partnership initiative to support ex-service people to find a new civilian job or career.

Through the scheme, Tarmac have attended a number of careers fairs, noting contact details and CVs for military service leavers who are actively seeking employment.

Tarmac are also signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, a formal pledge from the nation in 2011 that service personnel will be respected, supported and treated fairly.

The early careers ‘SO MUCH MORE’ campaign attracted: 7,000 applications in 8 weeks

2745 video plays

17,500 webpage views

Goal 6

Fair career progression

Skills-based programmes and training

The Tarmac Leadership Academy comprises four programmes aimed at every level of leader within the business. This includes:

Frontline programmes for supervisors and team leaders.

Coaching skills for managers.

Management Development Programme and LEAP Development Programme to target members of senior leadership.

The Tarmac Core Skills Development Programme for higher apprentices and graduates is aimed at developing personal skills to support their technical and professional development as they prepare for the transition to their first full time role.

Tarmac runs a future leaders programme that provides opportunities for individuals to work in project teams on strategic projects.

Tarmac offers apprenticeships to support the upskilling and re-skilling of employees.

Tarmac Employer Development Programme (EDP) offers the opportunity to work in small project groups to identify and address ideas that will help the business and its customers. Said programme is open and focused on frontline employees and team leaders. As part of their development employees receive guidance on project management, stakeholder engagement and teamwork.

Employee Personal Development

Tarmac has developed a coaching and mentoring strategy that directly supports development at every level and encompasses buddying new employees through career mentoring.

Training matrices are available for all operational roles to support personal development planning.

Tarmac employees have access to various online libraries and learning resources to enable self-directed development.

‘Pathway to Chartership’ is an internal group formed to regularly coach and develop team members towards accreditation with the London Geological Society.

Tarmac Chartership Group was formed to support routes for individuals to move into the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) or Waste Pathways and technical development.

Mindful Development Adjustments

For employees with special educational needs or additional learning needs, Tarmac makes a number of reasonable adjustments to their development programmes to suit the individual.

At the registration stage, the training manager will have a discussion with the learner where they will ask if the learner has any learning needs that they are diagnosed with. A record is made on the registration forms of any identified learning need and it is also captured on a tracker alongside other learners’ needs.

This tracker serves as a reminder for the team when delivering workshops - specific learners are highlighted to the trainer of a session along with guidance on any reasonable adjustments that are needed to be made for the individual.

In the case of one learner that has a form of colour blindness that is made easier by having course material printed on yellow paper. This eased the pressure on his sight, enabling him to take part in sessions the same as everyone else. The development team now provides all course books and test papers for this learner individually printed.

In another case as an example, on the course there was a participant who was struggling with English and Maths, however no diagnosed special educational or additional learning needs were identified initially. The individual struggled to pass the tests of understanding that are required at the end of each classroom session. When the lead trainer observed the learner this led to a conversation that helped identify the need for additional support on functional skills.

The learner was re-assessed for special educational needs and a referral made with Sheffield College. This learner also requires Level 1 Functional Skills and we have engaged Sheffield College - Tarmac’s Functional Skills Partner - to provide additional support for the learning. The Development Team made a number reasonable adjustments for this individual including 1-2-1 invigilation, extra time during exams and a reader to assist with tests.

Goal 7

Widening access to savings and credit

Financial education

Tarmac partners with two external companies; Salary Finance and Cushon. Both specialise in providing ethical financial education and financial products, such as savings vehicles and loans, in the workplace.

This is available to all employees, with regular webinars held to support the various offerings.

Pensions

Bi-annual pensions newsletters providing information relating to pensions savings issued to employees and a dedicated internal team specialising in pensions to provide pensions support.

The cost of living crisis

To help with the current cost of living crisis Tarmac paid a one off discretionary payment to employees of up to £400.

The payment was available to all those who were employed in the 2021/2022 financial year and are paid under the national average wage of £31,000 and working at least 20 hours per week.

Employees meeting the salary criteria but who are under the 20 hours a week received a payment of £200.

Goal 8 Good health and wellbeing

Promotion of physical health

A monthly safety, health and environment communication pack is disseminated to all contracting personnel each month, including a health topic. Examples of previous topics include; diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, stop smoking and male and female cancer awareness.

Tarmac held a company-wide ‘Mile a Day Challenge’ in 2021, encouraging all employees to move (walk, run, cycle) a mile a day. The participants with the most ‘miles’ recorded in a one month window were rewarded with a training session with Paralympian David Weir.

Tarmac is a sponsor of the Weir-Archer academy for disabled athletes with an active fundraising effort and donations made to the academy to support athletes.

Tarmac has made donations to organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts and National Parks that help people get out and into nature. For example, the company made a donation to Coed y Felin nature reserve in Wales for renovation and reinstalling accessible tables.

Tarmac also hosts an annual company football tournament.

Employee wellbeing support

Tarmac has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place, which is communicated and available to all employees and their departments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tarmac has a Dedicated Wellbeing Zone on the company’s intranet. This includes in-house webinars on mental, physical, social and financial topics including drugs, alcohol and general wellbeing.

There are also dedicated wellbeing resources available on Tarmac’s employee reward website. This includes information on nutrition, exercise, mental wellbeing, finance/debt management, cycle to work scheme, virtual yoga sessions and virtual gym classes.

There is a dedicated health manager role within the company and a high-level Wellbeing Working Group.

The general Tarmac wellbeing strategy was launched in 2022.

Tarmac has various employee communities, including; Ability Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing Community, and Menopause Support Community.

All staff are free to attend regular Listen and Learn sessions. This includes one held in March 2023 on Autism Awareness with guest speaker, Dr Alice Siberry.

Tarmac also has an employee reward programme - Tarmac Rewards. This scheme provides the option to purchase goods and services at a discount, but also provides an online Wellbeing Centre. This centre is free to use and is accessible for all employees providing articles, videos, recipes and general advice on physical health including exercise and nutrition as well financial advice.

Focused mental health support

Tarmac has been a Business Champion of ‘Mates in Mind’ since 2018. ‘Mates in Mind’ is a mental health in construction charity.

Within the wider Tarmac team there is a network of trained mental health first aiders. Mental health training for line managers and mental health awareness training for employees is embedded in several employee training programmes.

There is a Mental Health and Wellbeing virtual community with monthly check-in sessions via Teams, open to all Tarmac employees.

Tarmac runs annual company campaigns around Mental Health Awareness Week, World Mental Health Day plus others, and a provision of regular toolbox talks covering health and wellbeing topics.

Donations and Funding

There are two ways non for profit organisation can apply for funding from Tarmac, either directly from the company or through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

The Landfill Communities Fund was established by the Government in 1996. It enables landfill operators to donate part of their annual tax liability to enrolled Environmental Bodies for a variety of approved community and environmental projects.

Tarmac’s Panshanger Park

At Tarmac’s Panshanger Park, the organisation partnered with the Queen’s Green Canopy Initiative to build a new public woodland to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II at the end of 2022. The woodland has been designed to create a new habitat in the 1,000-acre park and will link existing woodland areas, creating wildlife corridors and encouraging a variety of plants and animals to thrive. 1,100 local volunteers who contributed some 2,750 hours to planting each of the over 17,000 tree saplings by hand.

On the back of a generous donation from Tarmac, Wenlo Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Group, in Loughborough, has been able to open a new bridleway. Wenlo RDA Group is a volunteer-led charity

which offers adults and children with physical and learning difficulties opportunities to ride, carriage drive and look after horses – boosting health, confidence and self-esteem.

RSPB

Ownership of 120 acres of wetland habitat has been donated to the RSPB in Nottinghamshire from Tarmac in partnership with Trinity College, Cambridge. The land, which is equal to 168 football pitches, is a haven for nature on the banks of the River Trent.

Henge monuments

Tarmac has gifted two henge monuments, part of a Neolithic complex in North Yorkshire described as ‘the Stonehenge of the North’ to the Historic England and English Heritage organisation. The land was previously part of the Tarmac owned Nosterfield Sand and Gravel Quarry site.

Tarmac’s Bayston Hill quarry

Tarmac’s Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire has recently supported a local childcare provider by offering funding for staff and parents to take part in mental health training. The donation of £1,300 to Kym’s House will go towards a six-week course for local parents and a four-week course for staff.

Community Cycleworks

A community organisation in Snodland, Kent, secured funding for a new biking facility,

including a grant of £23,500 from Tarmac’s Landfill Communities Fund. Community Cycleworks was awarded funding for the project after identifying that young bike riders in the area had nowhere to ride and practice their skills in a safe, traffic-free environment.

Two Derby schoolchildren were awarded with brand new bikes, through participating and winning a Tarmac-sponsored competition to design new bikes to highlight the benefits of cycling to school.

Deeping Rangers FC

Deeping Rangers FC under-7s received a donation of £850 from Tarmac’s Maxey Quarry to pay for their team strip.

Tarmac’s Mountsorrel

Quarry

Tarmac’s Mountsorrel Quarry continues to support local youth girls football club, Quorn Juniors, after agreeing to back the club for another three years. The funding agreement meant the club was able to purchase new shirts for its 22 teams, as well as this agreement Tarmac has contributed £6,000 for a container hut for the club.

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund contributed £50,000 to local all-inclusive Lutterworth Athletic football club.

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund donated £10,608 to Chapel en le Frith Bowling Club enabling it to make significant improvements to the quality of the green and facilities.

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund donated close to £40,000 towards a bowling club in West Tanfield, Yorkshire for the building of a new clubhouse.

Golfers in Buxton are enjoying new and improved facilities at the 130-year-old Buxton and High Peak Golf Club after receiving funding from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

The club received two grants over the last two years, totalling £62,000, which has seen the installation of a short six-hole course and refurbishment of the locker room facilities.

A project to renovate a hockey pitch in Nottinghamshire received a grant of £35,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund. In December of 2022 the Fund was also used to renovate Settle Swimming Pool, in North Yorkshire, thanks to a donation of £50,000.

The village of Furness Vale in the Peak District, Derbyshire, was awarded a donation of £50,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund, helping to transform the village’s green space.

Goal 9 Extending enterprise

Supply chain

Tarmac has specific targets on each Local Authority contract that any subcontract spend will be with local SMEs.

Tarmac keeps local SMEs informed of the organisation’s short and medium term plans for both secured and target work and such opportunities.

Tarmac is an active member of various local initiatives to support SMEs, such as Liverpool City Council’s Mayoral 100 Club - a scheme to grow one of the city’s most popular maritime events and to promote local business in the process.

Tarmac engages with and is a chair of the Quarries National Joint Advisory sub-committee (QNJAC) provision of free, accessible guidance on safe quarry operations largely targeted for SME operators and employees.

Tarmac hosts an ‘Innovation Challenge’ competition for its supply chain, with ideas submitted and reviewed by a panel with the opportunity to work in partnership and potential provision of seed capital. For example - specific climate change focused challenge for the year of 2020. An innovative hydrogen fuel supplement system has been named as the winner of Tarmac’s 2022 Supplier Innovation Challenge, this initiative that encourages suppliers, organisations and individuals to submit ideas which can support the acceleration of the company’s journey to net zero.

The organisation hosts an annual ‘Supplier Day’ and circulates quarterly Supply Chain Newsletters to keep in touch with supply chain partners and communicate best practice.

Tarmac is committed to paying subcontractors promptly in-line with an agreed Fair Payment Charter. In 2019, the company paid 474 contractors £45 million on Fair Payment Terms.

Goal 10 Closing the digital divide

Through Tarmac’s Employee Assistance (EAP) provider advice and basic skills courses on digital skills are available.

Infrastructure for opportunity 11

Goal 11 Infrastructure for opportunity

Considering Tarmac’s position as the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business, building infrastructure that links communities is at the heart of what the company does.

Its central purpose is ‘Building Our Future’recognising that it does more than construct projects, it builds projects that make a difference to local communities.

Tarmac has and continues to support long term Local Authority Partners to bid for Department

for Transport funding, including Pothole funds and Challenge Funding - designed to boost the local economy.

Examples of schemes Tarmac has supported include the A38 Mansfield Ashfield Regeneration Route, Bromley Heath Viaduct, with various schemes and packages for funds awarded to Blackpool, Wigan, Warrington, Northumberland, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire and South Gloucestershire Councils.

Through the business’ involvement in the Mersey Gateway Bridge construction project and subsequent operation and maintenance contract, transportation links in the North West have been improved as well as employing local people from Halton and Merseyside communities.

Tarmac also supports community infrastructure projects through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund. For example, a popular heritage railway line in Matlock, Derbyshire awarded a £32,636 regeneration grant after extreme weather caused damage to the tracks.

Goal 12

Building homes and sustainable communities

Tarmac makes a number of commitments on each long-term contract for the use of local businesses.

Tarmac supports other organisations to develop and create outdoor community space through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund. For example, Middleham Town Council in North Yorkshire is earmarked for a £21,750 donation from the fund for a complete refurbishment of a local park.

Tarmac continues to support local wildlife and environmental organisations to develop and maintain local outdoor spaces.

In 2021, Tarmac supported the planting of over 1,800 trees in the Yorkshire Dales thanks to the ‘People of the Planet’ scheme in collaboration with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

Tarmac is a long-term supporter of the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA), a charity and 150-acre visitor site on the edge of the National Forest in Staffordshire which welcomes over 300,000 visitors a year. Tarmac leases the land for the site on a

‘peppercorn’, much below market value, 980 year lease to the NMA as well as regularly providing material and donations to the site. Tarmac donated over 300 tonnes of gravel to the memorial site for much needed drainage work and made a financial contribution towards the construction of a living memorial to commemorate the lives lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tarmac is an active supporter of community events and projects. Examples include; In September 2021 Tarmac’s Ravelrig Quarry in Edinburgh aided a local charity group of over 3,000 volunteers, West Lothian Pick Up, involved in community clean up with ‘much needed’ new equipment.

In May of 2021, Tarmac’s Barnstone Cement Plant in Nottinghamshire made a donation to a local food bank.

As a business, Tarmac plays an active role in supporting vital services to carry out work within local communities. Examples include; £15,000 donation to North East Wales Search and Rescue for the maintenance of its emergency Land Rovers.

Tarmac planted 86,537 trees in 2018 within communities and localities around Tarmac sites. A 10 year partnership where we have committed to donating 7700 volunteering hours, along with supporting the education and development of 2,500 people from disadvantaged backgrounds

In 2018, Tarmac and its employees gave 8,500 employee volunteer hours to help local community projects and organisations.

Tarmac was one of the first companies in the asphalt industry to develop a carbon calculator.

Goal 13 Harness the energy transition

Energy usage

Tarmac’s own electricity supply is 100% renewable and clean energy, through its provider Squeaky Clean.

Solar powered welfare vehicles are used on Tarmac contracting sites where feasible.

As part of its Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund, the organisation helps organisations switch to renewable energy. This includes Sport in Desford (SiD) in Leicestershire which received two grants from the Fund totalling

nearly £30,000 to fund a Solar Electricity Generation Project and a Battery Backup to Solar Power Project.

Sustainable materials

Tarmac’s R&D department is investigating the use of more sustainable material options including the use of biogenic asphalt, which uses an alternative to bitumen.

Tarmac was one of the first companies in the asphalt industry to develop a carbon calculator. This calculator was then shared with TRL - a team of expert scientists, engineers and specialists working to create the future of transport.

In 2018, Tarmac re-purposed 8 million tonnes of waste and secondary aggregates to be used as raw materials and fuels.

All products used by Tarmac are certified as responsibly sourced to BES 6001 ‘Excellent’ rating.

From July 2022, 40 of Tarmac’s asphalt plants across the UK defaulted to warm mix for all lower layer materials as the company became the first in its industry to phase out traditional hot mix asphalt for highways projects. Warm mix temperature asphalt technology has the potential to reduce the embodied carbon of asphalt by up to 15 per cent compared to conventional hot mixesTarmac was the first organisation in the industry to default to low temperature asphalt. Within a matter of months multiple large industry peers followed suit.

With one in three roads in the UK containing Tarmac products, the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business is calling on the highways sector to embrace warm mix materials to help decarbonise the nation’s roads.

Supporting its supply chain

Tarmac holds regular online sustainability sessions that are free and open to all of its supply chain. These sessions cover different aspects of the sustainability agenda, such as new approaches to procurement across the supply chain and implementation of innovative materials, processes and strategies that will drive the sector forward towards the target of Net Zero.

The organisation has also created the ‘Decarbonisation Club’ - an initiative whereby Tarmac’s supply chain partners are encouraged to share ideas on ways to use renewable energy.

Innovation Challenge

Tarmac holds an ‘Innovation Challenge’ annually where top sustainable initiatives get funding or support to pilot as Tarmac strives to move to net zero.

Tarmac works with Renault on this Innovation Challenge, which has resulted in the organisation purchasing the first battery electric concrete mixer vehicle.

To identify as many ideas as possible, Tarmac engages across its entire supply chain and with start-ups, SMEs and other relevant organisations. 57% of ideas received in 2020 came through completely new contacts.

The 2020 winner was a proposal from ‘RKW’, Europe’s number one electricals and housewares distribution company - a net-zero carbon cement bag. It has resulted in a 50% increase in recycled content within the bags and has contributed to reducing carbon emissions by 651 tonnes.

Tarmac is now trialling 100% recycled cement bags and a continued partnership with RKW has led to a commitment from both parties to renewable energy and a continuation of innovative packaging solutions.

Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion 14

Goal 14

Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion

Tarmac has a dedicated head of inclusion and diversity (I&D) and a team that is focused on the agenda, with a specific I&D plan and clear interventions in place to tackle representation.

Equality, diversity and inclusion data is collected during the recruitment and appointment process however data is anonymised at the recruitment stage.

Recruitment partners with organisations who help underrepresented groups find employment such as Scope, The Shaw trust, and Job Centre+.

Total refresh of employee data held in 2022 asking protected characteristic and demographic questions, with answers linked to employed HR files to enable tracking of the employee journey.

Tarmac’s employee dashboards enable business leaders to see the demographic makeup of its workforce.

Tarmac publishes and promotes its I&D aims and ambitions, including ambitions to increase representations of diversity at all levels.

Tarmac has a policy working group in place reviewing policies through the scope of inclusion and diversity. This facilitated upgrades to both maternity and paternity policy, and religious needs in the last 2 years.

The organisation carried out a welfare audit to understand welfare on its 400 sites, with action plans in place to upgrade facilities ensuring they are accessible for all and consider religious and disability needs.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion questions are embedded into Tarmac’s procurement systems and processes.

A Gender Pay Gap report is published annually and is publicly available.

Education and support

‘Listen & Learn’ webinars are in place –1-2 per month featuring external experts with open Q&A encouraged.

Tarmac’s inclusion calendar is published business-wide and key religious and inclusion days are celebrated.

Tarmac offers seven different employee networks; ‘REACH’ (ethnicity), ‘Female Voice’, LGBTQ+ (one open to all ,one for those who identify) ‘Ability’ (disabilities, visible & non visible) ‘Parents& Carers’, ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing’, ‘Menopause’ – all have Executive member sponsorship and dedicated employee chairs.

Training for all Tarmac employees is in place with a blend of e-learning and face to face.

Tarmac works with its supply chain and sector peers to influence change at an industry level.

‘Rethinking how we think’ - Tarmac is training its team to be aware of the benefits an inclusive culture brings

Inclusion Plan

Tarmac has an Inclusion Plan with details of the make-up of its workforce, demonstrating the current make-up and progression over the last two years. Alongside the plan, Tarmac published and promoted I&D aims and ambitions, including ambitions to increase representations of diversity at all levels.

The ambitions as part of this plan are:

‘Becoming inclusive by being inclusive’Tarmac acknowledges that a collective approach is needed. It has established an external group of likeminded organisations from a range of different businesses and sectors which meet regularly to discuss challenges and successes.

‘Rethinking how we think’ - Tarmac is training its team to be aware of the benefits an inclusive culture brings and how to get the better of ‘unconscious bias’.

‘Listening to what employees have to say’ - Tarmac carries out anonymous employee surveys. Feedback from the surveys allows the company to focus on what is important to employees, and to learn more about the demographic make-up of the organisation.

‘Allowing everyone to be a part of our story’ - Tarmac is working on a range of new policies and tools that will help create a culture of acceptance and support; a religious holiday policy, updated maternity policy (enhanced financial and emotional support package) with a flexible working plan designed.

‘Breaking down even more barriers’ - Tarmac is committed to a constant reassessment of the language used in recruitment advertising.

Donations and Accreditations

Tarmac is recognised as a disability confident employer. In 2022, Tarmac was awarded the Clear Assured Silver Standard by the Clear Company for its commitment to inclusion and diversity in the workplace. In 2023, the company achieved Gold Standard following continued efforts to embed and enhance I&D practices across the business.

Tarmac has made multiple donations to organisations to increase access for those with disabilities:

The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund has donated £8,000 to improve access for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs at the National Stone Centre in the Derbyshire Dales.

North Kesteven District Council has secured £25,000 of funding to improve facilities at the Natural World Centre, particularly for people with disabilities and access issues.

An old shipping container, donated by Tarmac, saved the Dumfries and Galloway Wheelchair Athletics Club from closure after arsonists destroyed nearly £50,000-worth of vital equipment.

5 Analysis

As a large organisation - leading the country as the UK’s sustainable construction materials, road contracting and building products business, Tarmac has the scope to make a real difference across the country.

It is committed to being much more than just a large employer in the communities it operates in. Tarmac plays a crucial role as an anchor institution, spreading impact far beyond its remit through the support of local projects and its supply chain.

Due to the width and breadth of its operations Tarmac has a significant influence across the Purpose Goals. Its approach is focused on people, planet and solutions, recognising and acting in the face of a myriad of challenges that society is facing today.

Tarmac is leading the way in spreading employment opportunities and positive destinations for young people post 16+ through its apprenticeship scheme and ‘Early Careers Support Plan’.

The organisation is an approved apprenticeship provider, the first in its sector, with nearly 300 apprentices currently employed. Crucially, these opportunities are strategically targeted at people from low socio-economic backgrounds - levelling up through offering deliberate support to individuals who are most in need of the opportunity, but may lack the specific qualifications or soft skills necessary.

Getting people into employment however, is only the first step in this process, Tarmac recognises that continued support once in the role is key for individuals to truly flourish and succeed. Its Early Careers Support Plan puts in place the correct processes to ensure that those starting out have mentors, learning programmes, and effective support.

Tarmac works with schools and local stakeholders to ensure these early career opportunities are available to those without the necessary network of contacts, meeting Purpose Goal Number 5 - Open Recruitment. Tarmac ensures that it has an anonymised and inclusive recruitment process, with all staff involved extensively trained in unconscious bias.

The impact of these policies, and partnerships with organisations to connect with hard to reach groups, are shown in Tarmac’s internal demographic data. This data shows that nearly 60 per cent of those in its early careers identify as being within the ‘global majority’, compared to an industry average of 13 per cent.

Tarmac’s comprehensive employee journey and development plan ensures that it has significant impact against Goal 6 of the Purpose Goals - Fair Career Progression. The organisation offers targeted schemes and courses for all employees through its ‘Leadership Academy’.

The Tarmac Employer Development Programme (EDP) also offers the opportunity for employees to work in small project groups to identify and address ideas that will help the business and its customers, focusing on input from frontline employees and team leaders.

On the back of Covid-19 and the steep challenges facing customers, colleagues and communities currently, employee mental and physical health has never been more relevant. Tarmac offers an Employee Assistance Programme, open to all staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

Within the organisation, there is also a network of trained mental health first aiders, extensive wellbeing training for line managers, and mental health awareness training embedded in several employee training programmes.

As the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business, Infrastructure and building sustainable communities infrastructure is at the heart of Tarmac’s purpose.

Crucially, Tarmac’s approaches are grounded in sustainability - with research and development ongoing to ensure materials and processes are as sustainable as possible. It is also supporting its supply chain partners on their journey to net zero and it is consistently looking for new ways to improve through its ‘Innovation Challenge’.

Underpinning all of Tarmac’s work across the purpose agenda is its commitment to equality and diversity. The organisation’s ‘Inclusion Plan’ sets out its ambitions and commitment to foster a culture of inclusion through boosting diversity and embedding this across all of its departments, projects, and operations.

Tarmac is committed to go even further in its already extensive and industry-leading work in boosting social mobility and equality of opportunity through the prioritising of its internal organisational purpose and the Purpose Agenda. As a business, it acknowledges that due to its size and number of locations it, as a company, can create lasting change in the communities it is based in, contributing significantly to levelling up social mobility cold spots in the future.

6 Recommendations

This report by the Purpose Coalition has explored Tarmac’s extensive work on levelling upfor the customers, colleagues and the communities it serves.

Upon reviewing the material presented in section 4 of this report, the Purpose Coalition has put together some recommendations on how Tarmac can go even further in delivering social impact.

Share best practice wherever possible

1 | Tarmac can further its impact across the Purpose Goals by sharing best practice wherever possible

Tarmac has shown that it is committed to being a purpose-led organisation and has many examples of best practice that it can share.

Wherever possible Tarmac should share this best practice with its supply chain and others within the sector.

In order to truly take advantage of this good work Tarmac could work with the Purpose Coalition to create a ‘model of best practice’a joined up, holistic and individual approach to levelling up that other organisations can follow.

There is an existing macro levelling up plan provided by the government through its ‘levelling up missions’ but there now needs to be a levelling up plan that individual organisations can follow. This model of best practice could be broken down into the following elements:

Children and young people having the right aspiration (outreach into schools / communities).

Organisations providing knowledge and skills (apprenticeships and skills).

People having the resources to access opportunity (being able to actually get to an interview - money/time).

Opportunities being open (businesses actually having the opportunities and them being accessible to all through open recruitment practices).

Development of a strategic employment pipeline delivering social value

2 | More strategic use of donations

Through its Landfill Communities Fund Tarmac donates significant sums of money to local community projects and teams.

Could these donations be more strategic in terms of targeting specific areas of low socio-economic backgrounds and even develop these donations into part of a wider talent development pipeline.

3 | Targeted work in early years settings

Tarmac also has lots of contact points with children in early years settings, through its work in communities and with schools.

Could this be more strategic and targeted at areas of low socio-economic background around Tarmac sites? There might also be an opportunity to link this outreach with its apprenticeship scheme.

Even further, could the organisation put together a more complete talent development pipeline? Starting from outreach in early years, through to apprentices and then onto careers.

Continue to make progress on gender equality

4 | Lead by example on gender equality

Tarmac as an organisation is already an industry leader in gender equality. As a pioneer, Tarmac must lead by example and continue to dismantle sector stereotypes and focus even further on gender equality.

Within Tarmac, currently 77.8% of applicants identify as male while only 21% of ‘early careers’ applicants identify as female (the industry average is 14%). As a leader within this field, Tarmac has the opportunity to widen its impact through its supply chain and ensure greater education around these issues.

Any current progress and future plans should be shared as a model of best practice to other organisations.

A clear next step for Tarmac in terms of gender equality is committing to a percentage of women in its top pay bands - the percentage of women in Tarmac’s top pay bands was 11.5% in 2021.

Expansion of measurement

5 | Socio-economic background tracking

Tarmac could build upon its commitment to measuring diversity within the workforce. To further understand the backgrounds of its workforce and identify where people are failing to make progress in their careers, Tarmac could begin to measure socio-economic diversity.

The Purpose Coalition runs the Equality of Opportunity Coalition which brings together like-minded organisations who are committed to doing this tracking.

Four questions have been identified to help organisations do this. The questions are:

What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were aged 14?

Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?

If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for free school meals at any point during your school years?

Did either of your parents attend university and gain a degree (e.g. BA/BSc or equivalent) by the time you were 18?

Evolving Employee Support

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Cost of living support

As the cost of living crisis worsens, organisation’s will need to increase support packages for employees. This is an ongoing issue and organisation’s will have to implement long-term plans to support staff.

Tarmac can engage with the Purpose Coalition’s Cost of Living Taskforce to explore ways to better support staff, with best practice shared amongst Coalition members.

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Support staff with digital training

Only around 30% of Tarmac employees require digital skills as part of their jobs. However, this is an area where Tarmac could give its employees support to ensure they are ready to progress if the opportunity arises.

Tarmac could ensure its staff have the correct digital skills as the industry begins to change in line with technological advancements. This could include an extension in its e-learning package for employees, as well as provision of equipment if necessary.