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The Company

Company comprises of highly influential individuals, so if we all take a leap together, the impact we can make in the industry
will be immense.
I have started my journey for forward change collaborating with different organisations, speaking about my experiences at
events hosted by London BIM Region, Willmott Dixon, Newable and the CIOB. More recently I have been featured by the
National Association of Women in Construction for their Image of Women in Construction project, representing both my
career and culture in one image. I am a Role Model for the 2018 UK Construction Week and will continue to raise the profile of
BAME’s.

But it has been a bigger honour to have won this year’s Constructors Prize and since then a bigger privilege to have been
sworn in as a Yeoman. These are proud and distinct moments that will help me to be a visual representation to those from
BAME backgrounds considering an occupation in construction. More importantly a message to parents who do not see
construction as a stereotypical profession for their children. Psychologically some traditions do not envisage females working
in a male dominate environment. Perceptions from home, influence the youth and make this image become the norm and
therefore we need to promote the new norms of inclusion.
I was faced with the same issue coming into this industry, with construction not seen as being a professional occupation by a
lot of people, and therefore I had to prove myself a lot. As an industry we need to embody the change and help to influence
the shift in society to empower BAME individuals to come forward into careers not “conventional” to our race and gender.

I am ecstatic to begin my next chapter with the Company to help the promotion of construction positively on all platforms.
The impact Livery School links can have will be paramount to engaging with the next generation but in the grand scheme of
things, safe the industry. As the same humanitarian whom I quoted at the start of this article once said ‘be the change you
wish to see in the world’ – I shall continue to do just that.”

Andrew E Thompson

Andrew is another of our young Yeomen. He to joined the Company in May 2017 following his success
as one of our Sir Ian Dixon scholars. He has chosen as his topic “The School of Life and Investors in
People”, and he writes as follows:
“As individuals and professionals we never stop learning; we never graduate from the school of life. For a
few there is a critical season and period in their life; where an apprenticeship is needed to kick start their
destiny. An apprentice is defined as a ‘person learning a trade from a skilled employer’. Some of the
world’s greatest influencers were once apprentices. In the world of sport former England captain David
Beckham was once an apprentice in a Youth Training Scheme. Renowned English actors such as Sir Ian
Mckellen and Sir Michael Caine have all stated they were once apprentices.
There are two things every individual hopes to leave behind before they take their last breathe and prepare to meet their
maker; firstly an inheritance for their loved ones and secondly a lasting impressing legacy on their community, industry and
world. Providing apprenticeships as an employer could help with the latter. I love the theme ‘investors in people’ how many
of us can say we have invested in others and our assets are not just financial.

I once heard an individual say ‘in order to change the culture in one generation it will take the wisdom of the old, the resources
of the middle and the energy of the young’. Decide which category you fall in to; do you have wisdom to spare in the form of
volunteering, mentoring? Do you have resources to provide; perhaps an opportunity, an apprenticeship? Or perhaps you are
young at heart and you are searching for something meaningful to do with your life.
It has been said the devil makes work for idle hands; it is devastating but our young people are turning to a life of crime due to
many reasons but one being lack of opportunities and lack of good mentoring. The BBC interviewed Reggie Nelson a young
man who literally went around knocking on the doors of the wealthy; with one question…’how did you acquire your wealth
and what can I do to get it too’? Fortunately for Reggie; one door opened and he found himself on an internship in the finance
sector. Since then Reggie has finished his internship and is progressing in the finance sector and is helping other young people
to get into that industry. Sadly there are very few Reggie’s and we must do more to reach out to the more reserved, laid back
youth of today.

There is a massive skills shortage in the construction industry. One way to combat this is through apprenticeships; teaching
others those vital trade skills required in keeping the industry going, passing on the baton. The governments leading
campaign ‘hire an apprentice’ describes the following as some of the benefits of providing apprenticeships:
• Growing your business and solving recruitment challenges;
• Breeding creativity and enthusiasm with new talent, or retaining and up skilling current staff;
• Providing training that’s tailored to the needs and requirements of your business – learning can even be done in
your workplace, minimising disruption and maximising impact.
Let us be investors in people and not just leave an inheritance but a legacy.”

Page 14 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | Autumn 2018