The Construction Sector Accord has produced new research and a roadmap to promote and support diversity in construction.

The Diversity Roadmap was developed in partnership with Diversity Works New Zealand, the national body for workplace diversity and inclusion, and is the first ever in-depth research on diversity and inclusion practices across a whole sector.

The project aimed to better understand the barriers to diversity and what gaps exist in the industry, and then map the steps for transformation to help build a sustainable, diverse, and inclusive workforce.

One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is the shortage of people and skills in the sector, impacting its capacity to deliver the growing pipeline of construction projects. Women make up only 18 percent of the construction-related workforce in New Zealand and Māori and Pasifika are underrepresented in skilled professions and leadership roles.

Tracey Ryan, Accord Steering Group co-chair and Managing Director – New Zealand at Aurecon, says it is vital that our industry gets serious about diversity and inclusion.

"The business case for greater diversity is well understood and generally accepted however, the dial needs to be turned further if we want to truly tackle the challenges of our industry into the future. Put simply, diversity and inclusion are not only providing good social outcomes, but they are also a key metric to drive better outcomes for business," says Ryan.

The Accord will work with the construction sector to progress the recommendations from the roadmap. This will be done in the Transformation Plan 2022-2025, which will focus on supporting the development, attraction and retention of the workforce of tomorrow.

Read the Diversity Roadmap Report here.