Posted on 8 July 2025
The South Bank campus of Leeds College of Building (LCB) hosted two sold out fringe events as part of the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF).
UKREiiF is the biggest event of its kind in the country and saw over 16,000 industry professionals descend on the New Dock area of Leeds.
A short walk from the main hub of UKREiiF, our South Bank campus held a couple of specialist sessions aimed at overcoming barriers to succeed in the construction industry.
Kicking off proceedings was a networking breakfast hosted by the Yorkshire branch of the National Association of Women in Construction Yorkshire (NAWIC).
Event lead, and Early Careers Coordinator at Stantec, Eve Ryan-Smith said she saw the main aim of NAWIC as creating a “supportive network for women in the construction and built environment industry.
“Our other main focus is just to be a safe and supportive space, so the rest of the event will be about networking, catching up and meeting new people – we’re hoping from a student perspective, it’s a chance for them to connect with professionals.”
Level 3 BTEC Construction and the Built Environment student Ellie Turner was in attendance and noted that her tutor had given her the nod to attend the event, even though it clashed with that morning’s teaching, given its focus on future employability.
The opportunities on offer to future LCB graduates were none more evident than in the mix of companies represented by the event organisers – among them were Esh Group, Mace Group, Currie & Brown, Stantec and DLG Architects.
Following shortly after was a workshop put on by the Accession network, which focused on supporting people of colour in construction, unconscious bias in the industry and inclusive architecture.
After a talk on inclusive outcomes in design and development by Gensler Architect Tegan Ramsey, attendants worked in groups to think about best practice around accessibility within construction planning.
The lack of diversity within our industry was another key topic discussed during the session, with even organisers highlighting a statistic from the Construction Industry Council that just 5.4% of construction workers in the UK are from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background.
Accession network workshop organiser, and founder of architecture and planning company +TwoThreeThree, Kwamena Beecham said he saw “a lack of representation” as the main barrier affecting people of colour trying to break into the industry.
Speaking to LCB he said: “there are so few role models in the industry from ethnically diverse backgrounds, so the industry does not get the representation and coverage it deserves among these groups.
“Simply put, if you see somebody in a position of leadership that looks like you, you are more likely to want to enter that field.”
When asked what advice he’d give to the next generation of people of colour who want to make it in our industry, Kwamena told LCB his most important bit of advice would be “don’t give up!
“Things are changing and will continue to change. Don’t give up on your dreams and don’t give up on your passions. We need more dreamers!”
LCB maintains its commitment to promoting and embracing EDI within our college. If you’d like to join our team, please see our jobs page for current vacancies.
