Gender diversity and recruitment among objectives for new LABC President

Attracting new blood to public sector building control remains an urgent issue as the effects of a demographic time bomb hit, incoming LABC President Jayne Hall says. Jayne, Building Control & Land Charges Manager at West Somerset Council, has officially taken over the year-long voluntary role from 2014-15 holder Peter Keates, Head of Development and Regeneration at Central Bedfordshire Council. The handover took place at the LABC AGM in Sandwell, West Midlands, on 19 November.

Each year sees a different person hold the office of President - a non-paid, but prestigious position that allows holders to champion local authority building control issues. The President is drawn from local authority teams, and volunteers are members who have a strong networking background in their regions or have led development through an LABC Working Group.

Ever thought about a building control career? Find out more

As part of the role, Jayne will spend her presidential year connecting with customers, politicians and leaders of other professional trade bodies. She aims to use this interaction to develop a wider understanding and appreciation of building control and LABC and make compliance with the Building Regulations understandable and easier to achieve.

Commenting, Jayne said: “My primary aim is to raise the profile of the building control surveying profession across all sectors; to reach out to our membership and inspire them and to motivate more people to consider a career in local authority building control; to encourage people - from householders to senior politicians - to see the role LABC plays as a valid, valuable and important contribution to any building project, large or small.”

As well as making training and recruitment a primary objective, Jayne also plans to use her position as the first female LABC President to address the “shockingly poor” gender diversity within the construction industry. Little has changed since she joined the industry in 1982 - women currently only represent around 11% of the workforce in the construction sector, with a meagre 1% presence on building sites across the UK.

She said: “I am proud to represent women in the building control sector, and to become the first woman to hold an LABC presidential role means a lot to me personally. I hope that my story will inspire and encourage more young women to consider one of the multitude of roles available within construction as a viable career choice.”

Welcoming the new President, Paul Everall, Chief Executive of LABC, said: “On behalf of everyone at LABC, I am delighted that our first woman President has been chosen to represent us. Through her time as a Vice President and as a member of our Board of Directors, Jayne has already made a substantial contribution to what we do. We look forward very much to working with her during her Presidential year.”

Carrying on an established tradition, Jayne chose YoungMinds as the LABC charity of her presidential year. She chose this charity because it is committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people, an issue that is close to her heart. Jayne thanked Peter for his inspirational leadership, support and fundraising, saying he has set the bar very high, having raised £60,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust over the past year.

She said: “YoungMinds is a cause close to my heart, having personal experience of the pressures and stresses being faced by youngsters growing up in 21st century UK. I aim to raise the profile of YoungMinds’ work and remove some of the taboos about mental illness. By fundraising throughout the year, I hope to help the charity expand its brilliant free Parents Helpline, which provides a lifeline to thousands of parents and carers each year who are worried about the emotional problems or behaviour of a child or young person.”

Jayne will be fundraising through the LABC President’s fundraising page. [Update: Jayne and LABC's guests at awards events have very successfully raised over £30,000 towards YoungMinds fundraising efforts. To find out which charity the LABC President is currently supporting, visit our Charity page]

Published November 2015