WSP hosts event to promote more diversity in construction sector

VIBE, WSP’s LGBT+ employee network, is hosting an evening event on 10 May to discuss ‘Diversity in Leadership’, exploring the notion of how people in positions of leadership can best promote diversity in the workplace.

The event will showcase a number of guest speakers who are significant role models in positions of influence within the built environment industry and will highlight the continual efforts the industry is implementing to address diversity and the importance it has on employee wellbeing. 

Taking place at the London Transport Museum, councillor Ian Adams, Westminster’s first openly gay lord mayor, will be sharing his personal insights about diversity and inclusion as one of three guest speakers. As second and third guest speakers, Head of Development at WSP and president elect of the ICE, Rachel Skinner, alongside managing director of transport and infrastructure and chair of the WSP diversity and inclusion committee, Steve Smith, will be showing their support as leading role models in the industry.

“For young people coming into our industry, having role models that they can not only identify with but also learn from and be mentored by is vital to the ongoing benefit of the industry as a whole,” says Peter Townsend, BIM model manager at WSP and committee member of VIBE. “We have made great steps in recent years in improving the industry’s approach to talking about and tackling the issues surrounding diversity; not only from an LGBT+ perspective but also with regard to gender. 

“We hope the event will enable and encourage open discussions to take place between senior levels of management within our industry and community to inspire the next generation,” said Townsend.

Events like this show how WSP and the wider industry is showing support to the diverse community within the built environment and encouraging those interested in the industry, that there are no boundaries to positions in leadership. 

To register for the event email vibe@wsp.com