b'Diversity in Construction DiversityBuilding a more united and inclusive workplace By Matthew BradfordBuilding Workforce Unitymerous jobsitesincidents thatWhenweonlylookatone COVID-19 is taking the lionsare now said to be motivated bydemographic,wereignoringso share of the industrys attention,racist intentions. These incidentsmuch more, stresses Hofford.but that doesnt mean issues ofarent representative of the indus- The construction industry has workplaceinclusivitycantaketry as a whole, but they speak todone its share to promote diver-a backseat. If anything, growinga need for stronger jobsite unity.sity in its field. Over the years, it tensionsandshrinkingwork- has partnered with public and pri-forces show that the constructionBuilding diversity vate allies to launch campaigns to community still has work to doMuch has been said about theengage under-represented demo-whenbuildingsafe,welcomingadvantages of a diverse and inclu- graphics at high schools, industry and genuinely diverse teams. sive workforce. Its as much aboutevents and individual communi-There are many reasons whyunlocking fresh mindsets, adopt- ties. we need to keep a spotlight oning global mindsets and acquiringCOVID-19 has put some of industry diversity and inclusion,new skills as it is about being seenthesecampaignsonhold,but says Wendy Hofford, leadershipas an employer of choice. weanticipatethattheseinitia-speaker,trainerandconsultant. Demographics are changing and itshardertofindtalent.More than ever, we need to keep teams wholeandreachouttounder-representeddemographicsthat can add value to the jobsite.Oneneedonlylooktothe headlinesforsignsofstrain.In June,theTorontoconstruction community was taken aback by the discovery of nooses across nu-ORN THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 3 202011'