Led by GMI's Responsible Business Team, Construction Cares will deliver and support a range of activities in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Midlands where the construction company operates.
It will also encompass its existing support for the Care Leaver Covenant and the 5% Club, which promotes 'earn and learn' opportunities.
The Care Leaver Covenant, the second Government Covenant, is a national inclusion programme launched in 2018 that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently by creating meaningful opportunities.
GMI became a signatory of the Covenant in 2023, and, as part of Construction Cares, it is committed to advertising job roles to care leavers first and has established a guaranteed interview scheme.
The company offers work experience, work trials, employability sessions, and one-to-one mentoring to help participants develop their skills and gain valuable experience in the sector.
Recent programmes include DIY skills for care leavers, which have taken place, to date, in Yorkshire, North West and Midlands, with GMI supply chain partners leading sessions for students to gain valuable life skills for those transitioning into independent living and to give them a taster of career opportunities in construction. All attendees are provided with travel and lunch expenses and given a GMI home toolkit to take home with them upon completion of the three-day course.
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The sessions are already delivering positive outcomes with two participants gaining full-time construction apprenticeships and four have chosen to sign up to full-time constructions courses at college, which is getting them back into education.
GMI also runs 'Constructive Kickabouts' sessions for care leavers, organising monthly football matches to provide a social and sporting setting and meet new people. This was launched in Manchester in 2023 and monthly sessions are now taking place in Birmingham.
The 5% Club is a UK employer-led charity, which inspires and educates businesses and organisations to take positive action for increased, inclusive, and accessible workplace training for all. GMI currently holds Gold accredited membership of the club in recognition of the significant contribution it has made to the continued development of its employees through 'earn and learn' schemes.
Community outreach forms a key element of Construction Cares with GMI regularly supporting causes and organisations local to its schemes. This has included the construction of an extension to a SEND school, a kitchen in a community centre and woodland play and learning area at primary school.
Through 'Constructing Communities', GMI also supports the Daniel Baird Foundation charity, by installing bleed kits at its city centre sites, in locations such as Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, York and Bristol. The kits improve the survival chances of those who might have been stabbed or suffered traumatic injuries close to the sites.
Claire Preston, Head of Responsible Business at GMI, said: "We believe in helping shape more than the built environment in the regions we operate, but having a positive impact on those communities. Construction Cares is an amalgamation of a variety of initiatives we have been running, bringing them under one banner that will allow us to give a greater focus to our CSR activities.
"We have built strong partnerships with local authorities, charities, education establishments and organisations, like the Care Leavers Covenant, which is helping to create opportunities for people from all backgrounds. Through Construction Cares we will be making a positive difference to individuals and communities, supported by our dedicated team and supply chain partners."
