Corporate social responsibility key for construction’s future

Between The Lines Gerard Mcmahon

The work of the construction industry has always been intimately linked to social wellbeing – after all, without good quality housing at the heart of communities, efforts to improve society’s quality of living remain frustrated.

That’s why it’s so vital that construction not only deliver fit-for-purpose, sustainable, long-lasting accommodation, but also actively seek to engender initiatives that give back wherever possible.

It goes without saying that it’s increasingly important for all modern businesses to undertake corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives – it not only helps to build wider trust in a company, but also marks them out as responsible employers with a sustainable, local-minded outlook, instead of wanting to simply just generate profit.

Nevertheless, the real challenge is in delivering CSR that produces tangible benefit and actively enriches communities.

It’s therefore essential for companies to sharply define their CSR culture both internally and externally. As a company that’s keen to reinvest wherever possible, Esh Border Construction believes there is huge social value in supporting, and engaging with, communities.

This academic year, we are proud to have worked with over 130 businesses and bodies from 25 sectors – including Edinburgh Airport, Peace Recruitment and Developing the Young Workforce – to deliver Building My Skills sessions in 80 schools.

In total, we expect to engage with over 11,000 students and generate over 55,000 student engagement hours.

There is also our ongoing focus on apprenticeships. In 2013 we made the commitment to recruit 150 apprentices and in 2016 we were delighted to welcome our 156th apprentice to the Group. In Scotland, we are particularly proud to be bucking the industry trend with a significant number of female apprenticeships.

It’s fair to say that too often today’s CSR falls short of making a real difference, but we believe that it must be predicated on practical action. Fundamentally, in order to be most effective, CSR initiatives must be intimately connected to the company – they must reinforce its identity and be an integral part of how it tells its story. Only then can the industry be considered to be truly giving back.