Powering Inclusion: The Hidden Energy Driving Change in Construction, Energy & Utilities

⚡ Powering Up Inclusion: The Forgotten Energy Source ⚡

I’ve had an amazing few weeks – working across the UK with some truly inspiring people and organisations all focused on building more inclusive industries.

🔹 Aberdeen: with Stacey Will, supporting our partners AXIS Network as they explored why leaders should commit to an inclusive culture.

🔹 Birmingham NEC: joining a panel at the Energy & Utility Skills conference, launching their 2025–2030 Skills Strategy – discussing how inclusive cultures help the industry retain talent.

🔹 Central Birmingham:  speaking at the Construction Inclusion Coalition’s “Coalition in Conversation” conference – delivering a keynote, sitting on a panel, and running an afternoon workshop on inclusive leadership.

Three different industries.

One shared challenge:
👉 They each need to attract and retain hundreds of thousands of new people.

And they will only succeed if inclusion is central to their plans.

💡 Why Inclusion Matters
We talk about DEI as one thing – but each element plays a distinct role:
* Diversity brings talent into the room.
* Equity gives it a seat at the table.
* Inclusion ensures it has a voice.

Without that voice, the full benefits of DEI are never realised.
Inclusion isn’t about a policy or a poster. It’s about behaviour – about whether we create environments where every person, regardless of background, can contribute fully, innovate freely, and progress without hidden barriers.

⚙️ Powering Inclusion: What Works
Real inclusion needs more than intent – it needs action.
* Awareness – seeing what inclusion (and exclusion) looks like in practice and building empathy for the lived experience of others.
* Desire – making a personal commitment to challenge behaviours that exclude.
* Understanding and Capability – creating the tools to help people listen, invite, and include.
* Embedding – making inclusion part of how we work, not just what we celebrate once a year.

🚀 The Call to Action
Energy, utilities, construction – we’re all racing to build and power the future.
But we’re missing one vital energy source: inclusion.
* It fuels innovation.
* It powers retention.
* It drives performance.
* It builds a better future for us all.

So the question for every leader is simple:

Are you ready to switch it on?

Thank you to all those that made these events happen: Emma Behjat, Beth Towsey and Mini Nambiar at Axis, Louise Parry FCIPDD at Energy & Utility Skills and Anthea Marris, Jen Cassidy, Angela Rushforth & Neil Holloway.