Carillion hails benefits of sustainability
Wolverhampton-based Carillion has taken on more than 100 people in the West Midlands as a result of efforts to be a sustainable business.
The construction and support services group has provided 1,000 job placements to help unemployed people gain confidence and experience with 400 of those leading to permanent jobs, Carillion announced in its annual sustainability report which was launched at the Library of Birmingham, which the company built.
Chief sustainability officer David Picton said that a third of the 400 had been within the West Midlands.
Carillion is now half way through the 10-year programme that aims to contribute £40 million to profitability by 2020. It has so far added an additional £33.8m to its overall profits thanks to an increased focus on sustainable business practices
Carillion has also reduced its carbon footprint by 31 per cent since 2011, achieved 94 per cent diversion of waste from landfill and a 40 per cent reduction in operational water use since 2012.
Mr Picton said the job creation was as a result of its involvement in Business in the Community's Ready for Work programme. "We have supported it through job coaching and placements on a range of construction and support services projects to get people back into work," he explained.
He said that in Wolverhampton Carillion was working with schools and the University of Wolverhampton on careers labs and practice interviews with many of its head office staff volunteering to get involved. Carillion has also teamed up with the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to provide volunteers to help with work at Highgate Common, near Kingswinford, to protect heathland and wildlife at the site of special scientific interest including one project to encourage glow worms.
Mr Picton said that sustainability was designed in to all of Carillion's projects including the ongoing Midland Metropolitan Hospital building project at Smethwick.
Carillion is now the largest trainer and employer of construction apprentices in the UK, offering over 1,700 placements in 2015 including its training site at Stourbridge.
Carillion chief executive Richard Howson said: "Our sustainability leadership makes us a better business to invest in and work with."
