UK Construction Week Birmingham puts industry mental health and culture change centre stage

With just over a week to go before the doors open on UK Construction Week Birmingham, many leading industry names are preparing to come together to challenge, discuss and address two core issues affecting the sector – mental health and culture change within the built environment.
Returning to the NEC from October 3rd-5th, the three-day construction show will welcome over 25,000 visitors, with key focuses on sustainability, culture change, building safety, digital construction, robotics and mental health, and feature over 6,000 products and services.
In the Sustainability Hub, Anita Malster, Owner of Blossom Training and Kate Walker, CEO of Diabetes Safety Organisation will host Good or Ill: Mental & Physical Health in the industry. The built environment sector has the highest suicide rate of any industry; plus Kier Highlways’ new approach to diabetes safety on site.
Within the Offsite Alliance Hub, Danny Clare, Commercial Director – National Federation of Builders hosts a seminar on The Silent Pandemic. Construction shapes our world, yet it grapples with mental health challenges more profoundly than many other industries. In a field predominantly represented by men, an underlying culture has developed that stigmatises discussions about mental health and undermines its significance.
Anita Malster will host another seminar on the second day of UKCW within the CPD Hub – Are we talking about mental health or are we talking about life? The construction sector is undertaking a shift. While physical health and workplace safety takes priority, it’s essential to provide the same level of care and support for construction workers’ mental health.
The Culture Change Hub – in partnership with NFB and supported by Building People, will focus on improving employee wellbeing, better inclusivity within the built environment and tackling work-life balance and diversity.
Keynote on Inclusive Behaviours is a unique opportunity to hear form Marsha Ramroop, the former Director of Inclusion at the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Executive Director for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Building People, who will give a keynote on cultural intelligence and inclusive behaviours within the construction and built environment sector.
There will also be a recruitment panel comprising Marsha Ramroop, Sarah Chilcott – Managing Director of Planning Portal, Clare Addy – Head of Partnerships – Causeway Education and Mary Suphi – Deputy Director of Bounce Back. The panel will discuss the meaning of what it is to develop inclusive behaviours that can change the recruitment processes and frameworks that can be adopted to ensure fair and equitable recruitment.
Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, commented: “This year’s fantastic line-up of speakers really sets the stage for what the show has in store for in 2023. As the UK’s largest event bringing all parts of the industry together, is the place to learn from those shaping this rapidly-changing industry. We’ll tackle key issues head on and with the strong and innovative seminar and speakers programme this year, and we are proud of the diverse subjects on the agenda.”
To register for UKCW Birmingham for free, go to UKCW Birmingham Registrations