New CIOB President says it’s time for diversity in the construction industry

Rebecca Thompson FCIOB, a specialist in heritage conservation and lecturer in building studies, became the 114th President of the Chartered Institute of Building on 19 June 2017. She is only the second female ever to hold that position.

Rebecca used her inaugural address in front of industry leaders to call for a more inclusive profession in which women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities are actively welcomed and provided with the support they need to grow and develop.

“At the heart of diversity is inclusion” she said. “It’s an attitude of how can I make the work environment more conducive to people doing a good job, regardless of their gender, ethnic background, or any disability.”

An inclusive mind-set will also attract more young people to enter the sector, she argued, which is essential to addressing the current skills shortages in construction.

Rebecca said that “the better we make our industry – the more professional we are – the more we will attract young people. We have a tremendous offer; a career in which one can go back to a building years later, and say, I helped build that.”

Rebecca's background

Rebecca’s current role as lecturer in Building Studies at York College provides an outlet for her passion for helping young people get a foot on the career ladder. Her many years in construction began as a quantity surveyor at Shepherd Construction and recently included seven years at York Minister; first as Superintendent of Works and then as Chapter Steward, a Chief Executive role.

With this extensive background in heritage and conservation, she also intends to use her presidency to promote training and development in this specialist field, and to remind people of the huge responsibility that building professionals bear for preserving the culture and history that is contained in buildings.

She said in her speech “Buildings do tend to take on a life of their own. Most of them outlast us all, carrying on to subsequent generations the original vision and values. And so they shape us, and as Churchill put it, regulate the course of our lives.”

Further information

LABC have been working hard to encourage inclusion in the building control profession. Over the last 12 months we have seen 22 women (30% of delegates) plus 8 (10%) from an ethnic minority background enrol on our trainee development programmes. Find out about what a career in building control can offer you.

For further information visit the CIOB website.

Also read Diversity in the construction industry: still a long way to go.

See current vacancies in building control across England and Wales.