Hadden Group value the importance of community engagement, and the benefits it can bring to the communities that we are and have been working in. This year we have delivered a variety of community benefits to the areas that we have been working in. We would like to share some of our 2019 highlights with you:

Scott Street collaborative project with Perth & Kinross Council

We successfully delivered a twelve-week employability programme – Route into: Construction for young persons from the @ScottStreet initiative run by Perth and Kinross Council.   The employability programme was created and run by Hadden Group’s HR Manager; Amanda Cramb and Perth & Kinross Council’s Business Support Manager, Scott Nicoll working with Officers within the Council and was designed to give the young people at the @ScottStreet initiative the opportunity to pursue a career in construction regardless of their background.  Assisted by our supply chain (McIntyres Masonry and JGM) the @ScottStreet co-ordinators introduced these young people into the construction industry and over 50% of attendees have now moved onto positive destinations such as full-time employment and apprenticeships. 

We are also incredibly proud to have been shortlisted as a finalist for Perth Chamber of Commerce’s Star Awards and to have also picked up a Highly Commended Best Service Award for Medium & Large organisations at the Go Awards.   

Industry Insight Day at Crieff High School

Back in September, we hosted a Construction Insight day at Crieff High School, Perthshire. As we are currently constructing an affordable housing development in the area, we felt it would be beneficial to educate the younger generation about construction and perhaps encourage them to consider a career in the industry. In partnership with Crieff High School; Developing The Workforce (DYW), Perth College UHI, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Scottish Building Federation (SBF), Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC) and Hillcrest Housing we hosted an educational day with interactive workshops and guest speakers.

Hadden Group’s partners gave presentations on routes into construction, information on roles within their organisations and allowed time for question and answer sessions. The pupils were engaged, participating in all tasks throughout and the feedback received was very positive.

The day proved to be a resounding success and gave pupils some exposure to a number of key areas within construction covering topics such as Health and Safety, Apprenticeships and Careers in Construction. To round off the day pupils were given the opportunity to ask questions to Hadden group staff across all areas of the business including Business Development, Pre-Construction, Quantity Surveying and Customer Care. 

Due to the success of the event, Perth and Kinross Council have requested for us to host this again in 2020 to a number of schools throughout Scotland.

5-Week Mentoring Programme

As part of Hadden’s commitment to the communities that we are working in, our Business Development Assistant, Kirsty, ran a five-week mentoring programme with two S2 Musselburgh Grammar pupils. Kirsty spent one afternoon a week with the pupils helping them with a number of tasks such as CV and personal statement drafting. The pupils were at a crucial stage of their education deciding whether or not to pursue higher education or to enter into the world of work. Kirsty spent a lot of time with them telling them about her own experiences whilst offering guidance and advice. The pupils really took to her due to her friendly and approachable manner.

Throughout the programme, the pupils were encouraged to think about their futures and what they would like to be doing in 5/10 years’ time. At first this proved difficult but with the right support were able to articulate what their ambitions were. This allowed Kirsty to help them to understand what was required to achieve them and this gave them a goal to work towards.

Hadden will be looking to continue this programme moving forward as we believe it is extremely important to give the next generation the right tools and support when entering into the world of work.

Women in Construction Focus Group for Angus Schools

The construction industry has progressed significantly within the last decade seeing a noticeable increase in the number of females working within it however there is still some way to go. This is why Hadden believe that it is extremely important to encourage females into careers in construction.

With this in mind, we arranged a Women in Construction event alongside Angus Council and Developing the Workforce (DYW). Two girls from each school in Angus were invited along to an interactive session with Kirsty Clements, Business Development Assistant, Amanda Cramb, HR Manager and Yvonne Pringle, Project Planner. The session was run throughout a morning and included interactive workshops that tested the girls on their group work and problem-solving skills. This was followed by some presentations showing the group all the potential careers that are on offer along with the potential salaries which really inspired them. Our team observed an intelligent and forward thinking group with huge potential and the session was beneficial for both the girls and us at Hadden.

This event is something that Hadden will also be looking to continue in the coming months and we will be aiming to roll this out throughout a number of other local council areas. We hope that we have changed the mindset of the group and encouraged some of the girls into a career in construction that they would have otherwise overlooked.

Work Placements and Careers Fairs

We have provided young people with the opportunity to get some work experience on our sites. This year we have committed to and delivered 30 work placements. We are so pleased of this achievement and are excited to carry on encouraging young people into the construction industry.  

We have attended twenty Careers Fairs and Workshops to encourage the next generation to choose a career in construction.

We hope to continue our partnerships in 2020 and beyond. Thank you to all our staff who helped implement these community benefits, and to the excellent external support that we have received.